Two pathways of DNA double-strand break repair in G1 cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

G1 cells of the diploid yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are known to be capable of a slow repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) during holding the cells in a non-nutrient medium (Luchnik et al., 1977; Frankenberg-Schwager et al., 1980). In the present paper, S. cerevisiae cells gamma-irradiated in the G1 phase of the cell cycle are shown to be capable of fast repair of DNA DSB; this process is completed within 30-40 min of holding the cells in water at 28 degrees C. For this reason, the kinetics of DNA DSB repair during holding the cells in a non-nutrient medium are biphasic, i.e., the first, 'fast' phase is completed within 30-40 min, whereas the second, 'slow' phase is completed within 48 h. Mutations rad51, rad52, rad54 and rad55 inhibit the fast repair of DNA DSB, whereas mutations rad50, rad53 and rad57 do not significantly influence this process. It has been shown that the observed fast and slow repair of DNA DSB in the G1 diploid cells of S. cerevisiae are separate pathways of DNA DSB repair in yeast.