The role of DNA polymerase I in excision-repair

The ability of three different DNA polymerase I mutants of Escherichia coli to carry out excision-repair was examined. Strains having the same genetic origin but carrying either the polAl, polA107, resAl, or pol+ alleles were compared. The rate of ultraviolet-induced dimer excision was slightly reduced, relative to that found in Pol+ strains, in the PolAl strains; greatly reduced in the PolA107 strains; and found not to occur in the resAl strain. Ultraviolet-light-induced repair synthesis as determined by the ultraviolet-stimulated incorporation of 3H-labeled 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine into DNA of the parental density showed that the polAl mutation resulted in an increase in repair replication, while the presence of the polA107 allele caused a reduction in the amount of repair synthesis relative to that of the Pol+ strain. The ResAl strain, however, showed no ultraviolet stimulation of the incorporation of the density label. These observations indicate that DNA polymerase I plays a key role in the excision-repair process in E. coli.