Rat DNA polymerase beta substitutes the repairing activity of DNA polymerase I in the lethal effect of UV light

The aim of this work was to search if the rat DNA polymerase beta can substitute the capability of DNA polymerase I to repair damage caused by the UV light in Escherichia coli. The oriC origin of replication from p beta 5 was replaced by the rep origin from pSC101 and named p beta 6. The presence of pol beta in the new construct was verified by PCR. E. coli polA-1 (WP6) was transformed with p beta 6. A protein with size similar to DNA Pol beta (40 kDa) was shown in the cell free extracts carrying pbeta5. In WP6/p beta 6 cell free extracts a slightly smaller protein was observed instead of the 40 kDa. DNA Pol beta was revealed by western analysis, with polyclonal antibodies, in strains with p beta 5. Yet, it was not detected in the western from WP6/p beta 6. A moderate change in UV resistance was observed in strains carrying p beta 5. However, in polAl carrying p beta 6 (WP6/p beta 6), irradiated with 60-90 J/m2 of UV light, the viability was increased by more than four orders of magnitude, when compared with the polA1 (WP6) strain, reaching approximately the same UV resistance as the strains with DNA polymerase I. The results suggests that probably Pol beta is rapidly degraded in the cell free extracts from WP6/p beta 6 and, it repairs the lethal effect of the UV light in E. coli.