Cross-link structure affects replication-independent DNA interstrand cross-link repair in mammalian cells

A study was conducted to understand the cross-link structure of DNA interstrand that affects the repair in nonreplicating reporter plasmids that contain a mispaired [N.sup.4]C-ethyl-[N.sup.4]C (C-C), N3T-ethyl-N3T (T-T), or N1I-ethyl-N3T (I-T) ICL. The insertion of both, C and G residues at the C-C cross-link site without any need for Rev1 for repair indicated that replicative or other translesion polymerases could bypass the C-C remnant.