Repair of psoralen adducts in human DNA: differences among xeroderma pigmentosum complementation groups

Angelicin and 5-methylangelicin formed photoadducts in DNA after illumination with 360-nm radiation that were excised rapidly from normal cells; 80-90% of the initial angelicin adducts and 65% of the initial 5-methylangelicin adducts were excised within 24 h. Xeroderma pigmentosum group A cells excised about 20% of the angelicin adducts, group D cells excised 55-60%, and group E, 80%. This extent of excision resembles that reported for pyrimidine dimers in these complementation groups, except for group D. Repair of psoralen adducts may not, therefore, be identical in every respect to repair of pyrimidine dimers. Group D cells seem exceptionally able to repair angelicin adducts in comparison to their repair of pyrimidine dimers, suggesting that these cells lack a gene product that is required to a greater extent for the repair of pyrimidine dimers than for the repair of angelicin adducts.