Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Photoreactivation.

James E Cleaver1

  • 1Auerback Melanoma Laboratory, University of California, UCSF Cancer Center, Room N431, Box 0808, San Francisco, CA 94143-0808, USA. jcleaver@cc.ucsf.edu

DNA Repair
|April 26, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Scientists discovered photoreactivation (PHR), a widespread DNA repair mechanism that uses visible light to reverse UV damage in bacteria and phage. This process directly repairs DNA by breaking down harmful photoproducts.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Combinatorial therapy regimens targeting preclinical models of melanoma resistant to immune checkpoint blockade.

The Journal of clinical investigation·2025
Same author

Bromodomain inhibition overcomes treatment resistance in distinct molecular subtypes of melanoma.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2022
Same author

The UVSSA protein is part of a genome integrity homeostasis network with links to transcription-coupled DNA repair and ATM signaling.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2022
Same author

Nuclear Receptor Coactivator NCOA3 Regulates UV Radiation-Induced DNA Damage and Melanoma Susceptibility.

Cancer research·2021
Same author

Reappraisal of the prognostic significance of mitotic rate supports its reincorporation into the melanoma staging system.

Cancer·2020
Same author

Tumour predisposition and cancer syndromes as models to study gene-environment interactions.

Nature reviews. Cancer·2020

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes DNA damage, forming photoproducts that can be lethal to cells.
  • Early research in the mid-20th century identified a novel repair pathway in response to UV exposure.

Discussion:

  • Photoreactivation (PHR) is a light-dependent DNA repair mechanism.
  • It directly reverses UV-induced DNA photoproducts into their original pyrimidine components.
  • The process involves specific photoreceptor molecules and exhibits distinct wavelength optima.

Key Insights:

  • Discovery of photoreactivation (PHR) by Kelner and Dulbecco.
  • PHR is a cellular process with a broad phyletic distribution.
  • Notably, PHR is absent in placental mammals, suggesting evolutionary divergence in DNA repair strategies.

Outlook:

  • Investigating the molecular mechanisms and evolutionary significance of PHR.
  • Exploring potential applications of PHR in biotechnology and medicine.
  • Understanding the absence of PHR in placental mammals and its implications for UV sensitivity.

Related Experiment Videos