[DNA Bearing Bulky Fluorescent and Photoreactive Damage in Both Strands as Substrates of the Nucleotide Excision Repair System].

Model DNA molecules that contain bulky lesions in both strands have been created, and their properties as substrates of the nucleotide excision repair (NER) system have been analyzed. The modified nucleoside, 5-[3-(4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzamido)-1-propoxypropyl]-2'-deoxycytidine (dC^(FAB)), or the nonnucleoside fragment, N-[6-(9-anthracenylcarbamoyl)hexanoyl]-3-amino-1,2-propanediol (nAnt), have been inserted as damage in certain positions of the first DNA strand ("0"). The position of N-[6-5(6)-fluoresceinylcarbamoyl]hexanoyl] -3-amino-1,2-propanediol (nFlu) has been varied within the second DNA strand. This residue has been located opposite the removable damaging fragment of the first strand at positions -20, -10, -4, 0, +3, and +8 relative to the first lesion. It has been demonstrated that the presence of nFlu at the -4, 0, or +3 position of the second strand significantly reduces the thermostability of DNA duplexes, especially in the case of nAnt-DNA and completely excludes the possibility of NER-catalyzed excision from dC^(FAB)- and nAnt-containing 137-meric DNA with the second lesion at these positions. The introduction of nFlu at positions -20, -10, or +8 differently affects the excision efficiency of dC^(FAB)- and nAnt-containing fragments from the first strand. The excision efficiency of dC^(FAB)-containing fragments from extended double-damaged DNA is as high as from DNA that contains a single dC^(FAB) damage, while the excision of nAnt-containing fragments occurs with 80-90% lower efficiency from double-damaged DNA occurs from DNA that contains the single nAnt insert. The nFlu insert differently affects the interaction of the sensory XPC-HR23B dimer with dC^(FAB)- and nAnt-containing DNAs, although in all cases, this interaction occurs with increased efficiency compared to that with single-damaged DNAs. No direct correlation between the thermostability of the DNA duplex and XPC-DNA affinity on the one hand, and the excision efficiency of lesions on the other hand has been shown. The absence of the correlation may be caused by both functional features of variable multiprotein complexes involved in the recognition and verification of damage during NER and the sensitivity of the complexes to the structure of the damage and damage-surrounding DNA. The results are important for understanding the NER mechanism of elimination of bulky damage located in both DNA strands.

DNA with Damage in Both Strands as Affinity Probes and Nucleotide Excision Repair Substrates.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a multistep process of recognition and elimination of a wide spectrum of damages that cause significant distortions in DNA structure, such as UV-induced damage and bulky chemical adducts. A series of model DNAs containing new bulky fluoro-azidobenzoyl photoactive lesion dC(FAB) and well-recognized nonnucleoside lesions nFlu and nAnt have been designed and their interaction with repair proteins investigated. We demonstrate that modified DNA duplexes dC(FAB)/dG (probe I), dC(FAB)/nFlu+4 (probe II), and dC(FAB)/nFlu-3 (probe III) have increased (as compared to unmodified DNA, umDNA) structure-dependent affinity for XPC-HR23B (Kdum > KdI > KdII ≈ KdIII) and differentially crosslink to XPC and proteins of NER-competent extracts. The presence of dC(FAB) results in (i) decreased melting temperature (ΔTm = -3°C) and (ii) 12° DNA bending. The extended dC(FAB)/dG-DNA (137 bp) was demonstrated to be an effective NER substrate. Lack of correlation between the affinity to XPC-HR23B and substrate properties of the model DNA suggests a high impact of the verification stage on the overall NER process. In addition, DNAs containing closely positioned, well-recognized lesions in the complementary strands represent hardly repairable (dC(FAB)/nFlu+4, dC(FAB)/nFlu-3) or irreparable (nFlu/nFlu+4, nFlu/nFlu-3, nAnt/nFlu+4, nAnt/nFlu-3) structures. Our data provide evidence that the NER system of higher eukaryotes recognizes and eliminates damaged DNA fragments on a multi-criterion basis.

Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1) promotes detection of DNA bulky lesions by XPC-HR23B factor.

The nucleotide excision repair system (NER) is one of the main mechanisms protecting cellular DNA from lesions caused by such significant environmental factors as UV radiation, the influence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and medical treatment by several antitumor drugs, e.g. cisplatin. One of the major NER components is XPC-HR23B, the key factor during the damage recognition step of repair. Binding of XPC-HR23B to DNA that contains different bulky lesions impairing the structure of DNA is the basis for the wide substrate specificity of this DNA repair pathway. The multifunctional protein YB-1 among other protein factors has high affinity towards damaged DNA. Involvement of YB-1 in the cellular response to genotoxic stress and its ability to interact with damaged DNA harboring lesions of various origins pinpoint its putative involvement as a modulatory factor in DNA damage recognition and verification steps of NER. In the present work, we assayed functional interactions of protein factors XPC-HR23B and YB-1 upon binding to DNA structures mimicking damaged DNA containing single bulky lesions, as substrates of NER, and bulky lesions combined with abasic sites as an example of clustered lesions. The results indicate that YB-1 and XPC-HR23B stimulate each other in binding to DNA containing a bulky or clustered lesion, which suggests the involvement of YB-1 in the regulation of DNA repair by the NER mechanism.

Influence of centrin 2 on the interaction of nucleotide excision repair factors with damaged DNA.

We have examined the influence of centrin 2 (Cen2) on the interaction of nucleotide excision repair factors (XPC-HR23b, RPA, and XPA) with 48-mer DNA duplexes bearing the dUMP derivative 5-{3-[6-(carboxyamidofluoresceinyl)amidocapromoyl]allyl}-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate. The fluorescein residue linked to the nucleotide base imitates a bulky lesion of DNA. Cen2 stimulated the binding and increased the yield of DNA adducts with XPC-HR23b, a protein recognizing bulky damages in DNA. Stimulation of the binding was most pronounced in the presence of Mg(2+) and demonstrated a bell-shaped dependence on Cen2 concentration. The addition of Cen2 changed the stoichiometry of RPA-DNA complexes and diminished the yield of RPA-DNA covalent crosslinks. We have shown that Cen2 influences the binding of RPA and XPA with DNA, which results in formation of additional DNA-protein complexes possibly including Cen2. We have also found some evidence of direct contacts between Cen2 and DNA. These results in concert with the literature data suggest that Cen2 can be a regulatory element in the nucleotide excision repair system.

Bulky Adducts in Clustered DNA Lesions: Causes of Resistance to the NER System.

The nucleotide excision repair (NER) system removes a wide range of bulky DNA lesions that cause significant distortions of the regular double helix structure. These lesions, mainly bulky covalent DNA adducts, are induced by ultraviolet and ionizing radiation or the interaction between exogenous/endogenous chemically active substances and nitrogenous DNA bases. As the number of DNA lesions increases, e.g., due to intensive chemotherapy and combination therapy of various diseases or DNA repair impairment, clustered lesions containing bulky adducts may occur. Clustered lesions are two or more lesions located within one or two turns of the DNA helix. Despite the fact that repair of single DNA lesions by the NER system in eukaryotic cells has been studied quite thoroughly, the repair mechanism of these lesions in clusters remains obscure. Identification of the structural features of the DNA regions containing irreparable clustered lesions is of considerable interest, in particular due to a relationship between the efficiency of some antitumor drugs and the activity of cellular repair systems. In this review, we analyzed data on the induction of clustered lesions containing bulky adducts, the potential biological significance of these lesions, and methods for quantification of DNA lesions and considered the causes for the inhibition of NER-catalyzed excision of clustered bulky lesions.

Photoactivated DNA analogs of substrates of the nucleotide excision repair system and their interaction with proteins of NER-competent extract of HeLa cells. Synthesis and application of long model DNA.

Long linear DNA analogs of nucleotide excision repair (NER) substrates have been synthesized. They are 137-mer duplexes containing in their internal positions nucleotides with bulky substitutes imitating lesions with fluorochloroazidopyridyl and fluorescein groups introduced using spacer fragments at the 4N and 5C positions of dCMP and dUMP (Fap-dC- and Flu-dU-DNA) and DNA containing a (+)-cis-stereoisomer of benzo[a]pyrene-N2-deoxyguanidine (BP-dG-DNA, 131 bp). The interaction of the modified DNA duplexes with the proteins of NER-competent HeLa extract was investigated. The substrate properties of the model DNA in the reaction of specific excision were shown to vary in the series Fap-dC-DNA << Flu-dU-DNA < BP-dG-DNA. During the experiments on affinity modification of the proteins of NER-competent extract, Fap-dC-DNA (137 bp) containing a (32)P-label in the photoactive nucleotide demonstrated properties of a highly efficient and selective probe. The set of the main targets of labeling included polypeptides of the extract with the same values of apparent molecular weights (35-90 kDa) as when using the shorter (48 bp) Fap-dC-DNA. Besides, some of the extract proteins were shown capable of specific and effective interaction with the long analog of NER substrate. Electrophoretic mobility of these proteins coincided with the mobilities of DNA-binding subunits of XPC-HR23B and PARP1 (~127 and ~115 kDa, respectively). The 115-kDa target protein was identified as PARP1 using NAD+-based functional testing. The results suggest that the linear Fap-dC-DNA is an unrepairable substrate analog that can compete with effective NER substrates in the binding of the proteins responsible for lesion recognition and excision.

Recognition and removal of clustered DNA lesions via nucleotide excision repair.

Clustered damage of DNA consists of two or more lesions located within one or two turns of the DNA helix. Clusters consisting of lesions of various structures can arise under the influence of strong damaging factors, especially if the cells have a compromised repair status. In this work, we analyzed how the presence of an analog of the apurinic/apyrimidinic site - a non-nucleoside residue consisting of diethylene glycol phosphodiester (DEG) - affects the recognition and removal of a bulky lesion (a non-nucleoside site of the modified DNA strand containing a fluorescein residue, nFlu) from DNA by a mammalian nucleotide excision repair system. Here we demonstrated that the efficiency of nFlu removal decreases in the presence of DEG in the complementary strand and is completely suppressed when the DEG is located opposite the nFlu. By contrast, protein factor XPC-RAD23B, which initiates global genomic nucleotide excision repair, has higher affinity for DNA containing clustered damage as compared to DNA containing a single bulky lesion; the affinity of XPC strengthens as the positions of DEG and nFlu become closer. The changes in the double-stranded DNA's geometry caused by the presence of clustered damage were also assessed. The obtained experimental data together with the results of molecular dynamics simulations make it possible to get insight into the structural features of DNA containing clustered lesions that determine the efficiency of repair. Speaking more broadly, this study should help to understand the probable fate of bulky adduct-containing clusters of various topologies in the mammalian cell.

A Method for Assessing the Efficiency of the Nucleotide Excision Repair System Ex Vivo.

The nucleotide excision repair (NER) is one of the main repair systems present in the cells of living organisms. It is responsible for the removal of a wide range of bulky DNA lesions. We succeeded in developing a method for assessing the efficiency of NER in the cell (ex vivo), which is a method based on the recovery of TagRFP fluorescent protein production through repair of the damage that blocks the expression of the appropriate gene. Our constructed plasmids containing bulky nFlu or nAnt lesions near the tagrfp gene promoter were shown to undergo repair in eukaryotic cells (HEK 293T) and that they can be used to analyze the efficiency of NER ex vivo. A comparative analysis of the time dependence of fluorescent cells accumulation after transfection with nFlu- and nAnt-DNA revealed that there are differences in how efficient their repair by the NER system of HEK 293T cells can be. The method can be used to assess the cell repair status and the repair efficiency of different structural damages.

Photoactivated DNA analogs of substrates of the nucleotide excision repair system and their interaction with proteins of NER-competent HeLa cell extract.

Photoactivated DNA analogs of nucleotide excision repair (NER) substrates have been created that are 48-mer duplexes containing in internal positions pyrimidine nucleotides with bulky substituents imitating lesions. Fluorochloroazidopyridyl, anthracenyl, and pyrenyl groups introduced using spacer fragments at 4N and 5C positions of dCMP and dUMP were used as model damages. The gel retardation and photo-induced affinity modification techniques were used to study the interaction of modified DNA duplexes with proteins in HeLa cell extracts containing the main components of NER protein complexes. It is shown that the extract proteins selectively bind and form covalent adducts with the model DNA. The efficiency and selectivity of protein modification depend on the structure of used DNA duplex. Apparent molecular masses of extract proteins, undergoing modification, were estimated. Mutual influence of simultaneous presence of extract proteins and recombinant NER protein factors XPC-HR23B, XPA, and RPA on interaction with the model DNA was analyzed. The extract proteins and RPA competed for interaction with photoactive DNA, mutually decreasing the yield of modification products. In this case the presence of extract proteins at particular concentrations tripled the increase in yield of covalent adducts formed by XPC. It is supposed that the XPC subunit interaction with DNA is stimulated by endogenous HR23B present in the extract. Most likely, the mutual effect of XPA and extract proteins stimulating formation of covalent adducts with model DNA is due to the interaction of XPA with endogenous RPA of the extract. A technique based on the use of specific antibodies revealed that RPA present in the extract is a modification target for photoactive DNA imitating NER substrates.

Replication protein A modulates the activity of human telomerase in vitro.

Our aim was to investigate how replication protein A (RPA) in a wide range of concentration can regulate the activity of human telomerase. We used an in vitro system based on human cell extracts with or without RPA. It has been shown that removal of RPA leads to loss of telomerase activity and addition of RPA restores telomerase activity and at the same time promotes telomerase processivity. However, high excess of RPA inhibited telomerase processivity and caused the synthesis of relatively short DNA fragments (about 50-100 nucleotides). We assume that, together with other telomere-binding proteins, RPA may take part in activation of telomere overhang elongation by telomerase at a certain stage of a cell cycle as well as in regulation of telomere length.

Genome Stability Maintenance in Naked Mole-Rat.

The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is one of the most promising models used to study genome maintenance systems, including the effective repair of damage to DNA. The naked mole-rat is the longest lived rodent species, which is extraordinarily resistant to cancer and has a number of other unique phenotypic traits. For at least 80% of its lifespan, this animal shows no signs of aging or any increased likelihood of death and retains the ability to reproduce. The naked mole-rat draws the heightened attention of researchers who study the molecular basis of lengthy lifespan and cancer resistance. Despite the fact that the naked mole-rat lives under genotoxic stress conditions (oxidative, etc.), the main characteristics of its genome and proteome are a high stability and effective functioning. Replicative senescence in the somatic cells of naked mole-rats is missing, while an additional p53/pRb-dependent mechanism of early contact inhibition has been revealed in its fibroblasts, which controls cell proliferation and its mechanism of arf-dependent aging. The unique traits of phenotypic and molecular adaptations found in the naked mole-rat speak to a high stability and effective functioning of the molecular machinery that counteract damage accumulation in its genome. This review analyzes existing results in the study of the molecular basis of longevity and high cancer resistance in naked mole-rats.

[Interaction of replication protein A and flap endonuclease 1 with DNA duplexes containing a nick or flap]. / Issledovanie vzaimodeistviia replikativnogo belka A i flép-éndonukleazy-1 s DNK-dupleksami, soderzhashchimi odnotsepochechnye razryvy i flép-struktury.

Nicks and flaps are intermediates in various processes of DNA metabolism, including replication and repair. Photoaffinity modification was employed in studying the interaction of the replication protein A (RPA) and flap endonuclease 1 (FEN-1) with DNA duplexes similar to structures arising during long-patch base excision repair. The proteins were also tested for effect on DNA polymerase beta (Pol beta) interaction with DNA. Using Pol beta, a photoreactive dTTP analog was added to the 3' end of an oligonucleotide flanking a nick or a flap in DNA intermediates. The character and intensity of protein labeling depended on the type of intermediates and on the presence of the phosphate or tetrahydrofuran at the 5' end of a nick or a flap. Photoaffinity labeling of Pol beta substantially (up to three times) increased in the presence of RPA or FEN-1. Various DNA substrates were used to study the effects of RPA and FEN-1 on Pol beta-mediated DNA synthesis with displacement of a downstream primer. In contrast to FEN-1, RPA had no effect on DNA repair synthesis by Pol beta during long-patch base excision repair.

[Interaction of human replication protein A with DNA-duplexes, containing gaps of varying sizes]. / Issledovanie vzaimodeistviia replikativnogo belka A cheloveka s DNK-dupleksami, soderzhashchimi breshi razlichnogo razmera.

Replication protein A (RPA) is a heterotrimeric protein that has high affinity for single-stranded (ss) DNA and is involved in DNA replication, repair, and recombination in eukaryotic cells. Photoaffinity modification was employed in studying the interaction of human RPA with DNA duplexes containing various gaps, which are similar to structures arising during DNA replication and repair. A photoreactive dUMP derivative was added to the 3' end of a gap-flanking oligonucleotide with DNA polymerase beta, and an oligonucleotide containing a 5'-photoreactive group was chemically synthesized. The 5' end predominantly interacted with the large RPA subunit (p70) regardless of the gap size, whereas interactions of the 3' end with the RPA subunits depended both on the gap size and on the RPA concentration. Subunit p32 was mostly labeled in the case of a larger gap and a lower RPA concentration. The results confirmed the model of polar RPA-DNA interaction, which has been advanced earlier.

[Reagents for modification of protein-nucleic complexes. III. Site-specific photomodification of elongation complex of DNA polymerase beta with arylazide derivatives of primers sensitized with fluorescent ATP gamma-amide]. / Reagenty dlia modofikatsii belkovo-nukleinovykh kompleksov. III. Sait-spetsificheskaia fotomodifikatsiia élongiruiushchego kompleksa DNK-polimerazy beta arilazidnymi proizvodnymi praimerov, sensibilizirovannaia fluorestsentnymi gamma-amidami ATP.

ATP gamma-amides containing in gamma-N-position 1-methylpyrene, 9-methylanthracene, 10-chloro-9-methylanthracene, and 3-methylperylene residues were synthesized and characterized. These compounds were used as sensitizers of site-specific photomodification of the reconstituted elongating complex of the mammalian DNA polymerase beta. The photomodification was carried out with the use of photoaffine reagents, which were synthesized in situ by the 5'-(32)P-labeled primers extension with photoactive analogues of dCTP containing in the exo-N-position of cytosine various perfluoroarylazide groups. The effect of structures of the sensitizers and photoactive reagents on the efficiency and selectivity of photolinking of primers to the enzyme and template, as well as formation of a number of other photomodification products was studied. It was shown that the sensitizers containing 10-chloro-9-methylanthracene and 3-methylperylene residues allow preparation of photolinks in such irradiation conditions when photomodification in their absence is not essentially observed.

[Reagents for modification of protein-nucleic acids complexes. II. Site-specific photomodification of DNA-polymerase beta complexes with primers elongated by the dCTP exo-N-substituted arylazido derivatives]. / Reagenty dlia modifikatsii belkovo-nukleinovykh kompleksov. II. Sait-spetsificheskaia fotomodofikatsiia kompleksov DNK-polimerazy beta praîmerami, élongirovannymi ékzo-N-zamashchennymi arilazidnymi proizvodnymi dCTP.

Substrate properties of the earlier synthesized and characterized dCTP derivatives bearing in the exo-N-position of cytosine 2-(4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzoylamino)ethyl (I), 2-(2-nitro-5-azidobenzoylamino)ethyl (II), 2-(4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzylideneaminooxymethylcarbonylamino)ethyl (III), 4-(4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzylideneaminooxy)butyloxy (IV), or 4-(4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzylidenehydrazinocarbonyl)butyl- carbonylamino (V) groups were studied in the primer extension reaction catalyzed by rat DNA polymerase beta. Unlike the earlier results obtained with HIV reverse transcriptase, dCTP derivatives (I)-(III) were not recognized by rat DNA polymerase beta as dTTP analogues, and all the five nucleotides were utilized as dCTP analogues. When compared with dCTP, Km values for the synthesized dCTP derivatives were higher by a factor of 4-20; Vmax were 1-2.3 times higher for (I)-(III) and (V) but 20-fold lower for derivative (IV). Site-specific photomodifications of the primer-template-DNA polymerase beta complexes were carried out using photoreactive reagents PRI-PRV, obtained in situ by extension of 5'-32P-labeled primers with dCTP analogues (I)-(V), respectively, when exposed to UV irradiation at 303-313 nm. Reagents PRI and PRIV provided the maximum photocrosslinking of the 5'-32P-labeled primer to the DNA template (56%) and to the enzyme (20%), respectively. The lowest efficiency of photocrosslinking was observed for PRII (about 1%).

[Preparation of photoreactive oligonucleotide duplexes and their application for photoaffinity modification of DNA-binding proteins]. / Poluchenie fotoreaktsionnosposobnykh oligonukleotidnykh dupleksov i ikh primenenie dlia fotoaffinnoi modifikatsii DNK-sviazyvaiushchikh belkov.

To introduce photoreactive dNTP residues to the 3'-end of a mononucleotide gap, base-substituted photoreactive deoxynucleoside triphosphate derivatives, (5-[N-(2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-azidobenzoyl)-trans-3-aminopropenyl-1]- and 5-(N-[N-(4-azido-2,5-difluoro-3-chloropyridine-6-yl)-3-aminopropionyl]- trans-3-aminopropenyl-1)-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphates, were used as substrates in the DNA polymerase beta-catalyzed reaction. The resulting nick, containing a modified base at the 3'-end, was sealed by T4 phage DNA ligase. This approach enables the preparation of DNA duplexes bearing photoreactive groups at predetermined position(s) of the nucleotide chain. Using the generated photoreactive DNA duplexes, the photoaffinity modifications of DNA polymerase beta and human replicative protein A (hRPA) were carried out. It was shown that DNA polymerase beta and hRPA subunits were modified with the photoreactive double-stranded DNA considerably less effectively than by the nicked DNA. In the case of double-stranded DNA, the hRPA p70 subunit was preferentially labeled, implying a crucial role of this subunit in the protein-DNA interaction.

[Highly-sensitive nonradioactive detection of the tick-borne encephalitis virus]. / Vysokochuvstvitel'naia neradioaktivnaia detektsiia virusa kleshchevogo éntsefalita.

The non-radioactive reverse dot-blot method was used for the detection of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in clinical specimens. The method involves reverse transcription (RT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a pair of biotin-labelled oligonucleotide primers. These primers flank a region in the gene of the envelope protein E, which is more conserved than other regions, and initiate the polymerisation with RNAs of all the investigated strains. The amplified cDNA was captured from solution on a solid support using complementary oligonucleotides covalently bound to a polyamide membrane. The biotin labels of the resulting hybrids were visualized by means of the streptavidin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate. The detection limit of the test was about 10(3)-10(4) molecules of target RNA. The sensitivity was comparable to that obtained by dot-hybridization of PCR-product with 32P-labelled DNA probe. The method was used for the detection of RNA in specimens of tick and blood.

Molecular mechanism of global genome nucleotide excision repair.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a multistep process that recognizes and eliminates a wide spectrum of damage causing significant distortions in the DNA structure, such as UV-induced damage and bulky chemical adducts. The consequences of defective NER are apparent in the clinical symptoms of individuals affected by three disorders associated with reduced NER capacities: xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), Cockayne syndrome (CS), and trichothiodystrophy (TTD). These disorders have in common increased sensitivity to UV irradiation, greatly elevated cancer incidence (XP), and multi-system immunological and neurological disorders. The eucaryotic NER system eliminates DNA damage by the excision of 24-32 nt single-strand oligonucleotides from a damaged strand, followed by restoration of an intact double helix by DNA repair synthesis and DNA ligation. About 30 core polypeptides are involved in the entire repair process. NER consists of two pathways distinct in initial damage sensor proteins: transcription-coupled repair (TC-NER) and global genome repair (GG-NER). The article reviews current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms underlying damage recognition and its elimination from mammalian DNA.

Interaction of nucleotide excision repair factors XPC-HR23B, XPA, and RPA with damaged DNA.

The interaction of nucleotide excision repair factors--xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C protein in complex with human homolog of yeast Rad23 protein (XPC-HR23B), replication protein A (RPA), and xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A protein (XPA)--with 48-mer DNA duplexes imitating damaged DNA structures was investigated. All studied proteins demonstrated low specificity in binding to damaged DNA compared with undamaged DNA duplexes. RPA stimulates formation of XPC-HR23B complex with DNA, and when XPA and XPC-HR23B are simultaneously present in the reaction mixture a synergistic effect in binding of these proteins to DNA is observed. RPA crosslinks to DNA bearing photoreactive 5I-dUMP residue on one strand and fluorescein-substituted dUMP analog as a lesion in the opposite strand of DNA duplex and also stimulates cross-linking with XPC-HR23B. Therefore, RPA might be one of the main regulation factors at various stages of nucleotide excision repair. The data are in agreement with the cooperative binding model of nucleotide excision repair factors participating in pre-incision complex formation with DNA duplexes bearing damages.