Effects of temperature on UV-B-induced DNA damage and photorepair in Arabidopsis thaliana

Article type: Research Article

Authors: LI, Shao-shan^; | WANG, Yan | BJÖRN, Lars Olof

Affiliations: School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China | School of Life Sciences and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China | Department of Plant Physiology, Lund University, Box 117, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden

Note: [] Corresponding author. E-mail: lishsh@scnu.edu.cn

Abstract: DNA damage in the form of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and (6-4) photoproducts (6-4PPs) induced by UV-B radiation in Arabidopsis thaliana at different temperatures was investigated using ELISA with specific monoclonal antibodies. CPDs and 6-4PPs increased during 3 h UV-B exposure, but further exposure led to decreases. Contrary to the commonly accepted view that DNA damage induced by UV-B radiation is temperature-independent because of its photochemical nature, we found UV-B-induction of CPDs and 6-4PPs in Arabidopsis to be slower at a Iow than at a high temperature. Photorepair of CPDs at 24°C was much faster than that at 0°C and 12°C, with 50% CPDs removal during 1 h exposure to white light. Photorepair of 6-4PPs at 12°C was very slow as compared with that at 24°C, and almost no removal of 6-4 PPs was detected after 4 h exposure to white light at 0°C. There was evidence to suggest that temperaturedependent DNA damage and photorepair could have important ecological implications.

Keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs), DNA repair, (6-4) photoproducts (6-4PPs), temperature, UV-B radiation

Journal: Journal of Environmental Sciences, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 173-176, 2004