Changes in repair competency after 5-bromodeoxyuridine pulse labeling and near-ultraviolet light

Synchronized V79 Chinese hamster cells, pulse-labeled with 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd), show marked changes in the sensitivity to near-ultraviolet light during the cell cycle. Cells are least sensitive during the remainder of the S-phase after the BrdUrd pulse. They become maximally sensitive in the next cell cycle when the BrdUrd-labeled DNA presumably serves as the template for replication. This is followed by a return to relative insensitivity during the remainder of the S-phase, the increase in survival does not occur until DNA synthesis progresses beyond the time when the DNA made during the second pulse serves as a template. Furthermore, cells in the resistant phases of the cell cycle are sensitized by 1-2 mM caffeine. Survival curves are shown for the various cell ages of interest and are discussed in relation to the observed changes in functional repair capacity. The data support the hypothesis that lesions in the BrdUrd-containing DNA are effectively repaired after semiconservative replication. The data indicate that saturation of repair capacity and not target multiplicity is responsible for the appearance of a shoulder on the survival curves.