A history of the DNA repair and mutagenesis field: The discovery of base excision repair

DNA Repair (Amst). 2016 Jan:37:A35-9. doi: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2015.12.003.

Abstract

This article reviews the early history of the discovery of an DNA repair pathway designated as base excision repair (BER), since in contrast to the enzyme-catalyzed removal of damaged bases from DNA as nucleotides [called nucleotide excision repair (NER)], BER involves the removal of damaged or inappropriate bases, such as the presence of uracil instead of thymine, from DNA as free bases.

Publication types

  • Biography
  • Historical Article
  • Portrait

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria / metabolism
  • Biochemistry / history*
  • DNA / history
  • DNA / metabolism
  • DNA Repair Enzymes
  • DNA Repair*
  • Eukaryota / metabolism
  • History, 20th Century
  • History, 21st Century
  • Mutagenesis*
  • Nobel Prize

Substances

  • DNA
  • DNA Repair Enzymes

Personal name as subject

  • Tomas Lindahl
  • Larry Grossman
  • David Goldthwait