Enzymatic Digestion of DNA γ-irradiated in Aqueous Solution Separation of the Digests by Ion-exchange Chromatography

Summary

Aqueous solutions of DNA were γ-irradiated in the presence and absence of oxygen and enzymatically hydrolysed by the combined action of pancreatic deoxyribonuclease (DNase I), snake-venom phosphodiesterase (PDE I), spleen phosphodiesterase (PDE II) and alkaline phosphatase. In contrast to unirradiated DNA, which is fully hydrolysed to nucleosides by these enzymes, γ-irradiated DNA yields a series of oligonucleotides. Their isolation might enable the future identification of the chemical nature of DNA lesions.