Abstract
EUKARYOTIC chromatin is now considered to be composed of structural units, nucleosomes (nu bodies), which consist of four pairs of histones around which DNA is coiled1–3. Approximately 200 base pairs of DNA are associated with each nucleosome, 140 base pairs are wrapped around each and a variable length of approximately 40 base pairs lies between1–3. The DNA wrapped around each nucleosome is less easily digested by micrococcal nuclease than the DNA between them, and brief periods of incubation with the enzyme allow isolation of nucleosomes as discrete particles2. The structural organisation of mammalian DNA into nucleosomes, and higher degrees of order in the packing of strings of nucleosomes into chromosomal fibres has been shown to play a major part in the control of DNA replication4,5, and transcription6. Previous studies have indicated that the accessibility of damage in DNA to repair enzymes is restricted by chromatin proteins7,8 and it is therefore likely that the repair of damaged sites in DNA is also controlled by some features of nucleosome structure and packing9. In the study described here I have measured the rates of degradation of repaired regions in mammalian DNA by micrococcal nuclease; the results suggest that the first sites of ultraviolet light-induced damage to be repaired are those in the DNA between nucleosomes and that there is little rearrangement of nucleosomes along the DNA during repair.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Noll, M. Nature 251, 249–251 (1974).
Olins, A. L., Carlson, R. D., Wright, E. B. & Olins, D. E. Nucleic Acids Res. 3, 3271–3291 (1976).
Oudet, P., Gross-Bellard, M. & Chambon, P. Cell 4, 281–300 (1975).
Weintraub, H. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. quant. Biol. 38, 247–256 (1973).
Searle, R. L. Cell 9, 423–429 (1976).
Piper, P. W. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 3, 493–505 (1976).
Wilkins, R. J. & Hart, R. W. Nature 247, 35–36 (1974).
Mortelmans, K., Friedberg, E. C., Slor, H., Thomas, G. H. & Cleaver, J. E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 2757–2761 (1976).
Cleaver, J. E. in Molecular Human Cytogenetics ICN/UCLA Symposium (in the press).
Cleaver, J. E. Adv. Radiat. Biol. 4, 1–75 (1974).
Cleaver, J. E. Meth. Cancer Res. 9, 123–165 (1976).
Bodell, W. J. Nucleic Acids Res. 4, 2619–2628 (1977).
Sciudero, D. & Strauss, B. Mutat. Res. 35, 311–324 (1976).
Patrick, M. H. & Gray, D. M. Photochem. Photobiol. 24, 507–513 (1976).
Cleaver, J. E. Nature 218, 652–656 (1968).
Regan, J. D., Setlow, R. B. & Ley, R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 68, 708–712 (1971).
Paterson, M. C., Lohman, P. H. M. & Sluyter, M. L. Mutat. Res. 19, 245–256 (1973).
Cleaver, J. E. Photochem. Photobiol. 12, 17–28 (1970).
Cleaver, J. E., Thomas, G. H., Trosko, J. E. & Lett, J. T. Expl Cell Res. 74, 67–80 (1972).
Smith, C. A. & Hanawalt, P. C. Biochim. biophys. Acta 447, 121–132 (1975).
Cleaver, J. E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69, 428–435 (1969).
Haynes, R. H. Radiat. Res. Suppl. 6, 232 (1966).
Gianelli, F. & Pawsey, S. A. J. Cell Sci. 15, 163–176 (1974).
Ahmed, F. E. & Setlow, R. B. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 1548–1552 (1977).
Cleaver, J. E. & Bootsma, D. A. Rev. Gen. 9, 19–38 (1975).
Kraemer, K. H., Andrews, A. D., Barrett, S. F. & Robbins, J. H. Biochim. biophys. Acta 442, 147–153 (1976).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
CLEAVER, J. Nucleosome structure controls rates of excision repair in DNA of human cells. Nature 270, 451–453 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/270451a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/270451a0
This article is cited by
-
Mitigation of radiation-induced gastro-intestinal injury by the polyphenolic acetate 7, 8-diacetoxy-4-methylthiocoumarin in mice
Scientific Reports (2019)
-
XP patients from Germany: Correlation of colony-forming ability, unscheduled DNA synthesis and single-strand breaks after UV damage in xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology (1982)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.