Bjørnar Myrnes

Enzymatic repair of premutagenic DNA lesions in human epidermis Quantitation of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase and uracil-DNA glycosylase activities

Extracts of human epidermis prepared by the suction blister method were used to measure O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase and uracil-DNA glycosylase activities. Although both activities were detected in all extracts examined, a 4-5-fold interindividual variation in activity was found. No obvious correlation of the two enzyme activities with the age of the patient was observed. Neither was there any correlation between the level of uracil-DNA glycosylase activity and O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase activity.

DNA repair in mammalian tissues and cells.

This article will mainly review the work of our laboratories on the repair of DNA damage in human cells and tissues and will include repair of damage caused by ultraviolet light, uracil in DNA and alkylations due to Nnitroso compounds. References to related work will be restricted to those pertinent to the discussion and interpretation of our own work.