UV‐INDUCED ALKALINE LABILE DNA DAMAGE IN HUMAN ADENOVIRUS AND ITS REPAIR AFTER INFECTION OF HUMAN CELLS

Abstract— UV‐induced alkaline labile viral DNA damage was detected following irradiation of adenovirus type 2 and found to be repaired following the infection of human KB cells. Human adenovirus type 2 was irradiated with various doses of UV and subsequently used to infect human KB cells in tissue culture at approximately 2 × 10 3 particles per cell. Before, and at various times after infection, the viral DNA was examined on alkaline sucrose gradients. Irradiated free virus DNA showed a dose dependent decrease in molecular weight compared to unirradiated virus DNA, indicating the presence of UV‐induced alkaline labile lesions. Furthermore, an increase in the molecular weight of the irradiated virus DNA was found after infection indicating that alkaline labile lesions were removed from the viral DNA by a host mediated repair mechanism. After infection, the molecular weight of the irradiated virus DNA reached a value similar to that of unirradiated virus DNA for all the UV doses studied.