DNA damage-inducible and RAD52-independent repair of DNA double-strand breaks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (original) (raw)

Chromosomal repair was studied in stationary-phase Saccharomyces cerevisiae, including rad52/rad52 mutant strains deficient in repairing double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination. Mutant strains suffered more chromosomal fragmentation than RAD52/RAD52 strains after treatments with cobalt-60 gamma irradiation or radiomimetic bleomycin, except after high bleomycin doses when chromosomes from rad52/rad52 strains contained fewer DSBs than chromosomes from RAD52/RAD52 strains. DNAs from both genotypes exhibited quick rejoining following gamma irradiation and sedimentation in isokinetic alkaline sucrose gradients, but only chromosomes from RAD52/RAD52 strains exhibited slower rejoining (10 min to 4 hr in growth medium). Chromosomal DSBs introduced by gamma irradiation and bleomycin were analyzed after pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. After equitoxic damage by both DNA-damaging agents, chromosomes in rad52/rad52 cells were reconstructed under nongrowth conditions [liquid hol...