Repair of helix-stabilizing anthramycin-N2 guanine DNA adducts by UVRA and UVRB proteins

The transfectivity of anthramycin (Atm)-modified φX174 replicative form (RF) DNA in Escherichia coli is lower in uvrA and uvrB mutant cells but much higher in uvrC mutant cells compared to wild-type cells. Pretreatment of the Atm-modified phage DNA with purified UVRA and UVRB significantly increases the transfectivity of the DNA in uvrA or uvrB mutant cells. This pretreatment greatly reduces the UVRABC nuclease-sensitive sites (UNSS) and Atm-induced absorbance at 343 nm in the Atm-modified DNA without producing apurinic sites. The reduction of UNSS is proportional to the concentrations of UVRA and UVRB and the enzyme-DNA incubation time and requires ATP. We conclude that there are two different mechanisms for repairing Atm-N2 guanine adducts by UVR proteins: (1) UVRA and UVRB bind to the Atm-N2 guanine double-stranded DNA region and consequently release the Atm from the adducted guanine; (2) UVRABC makes an incision at both sides of the Atm-DNA adduct. The latter mechanism produces potentially lethal double-strand DNA breaks in Atm-modified φX174 RF DNA in vitro.