QUANTIFICATION OF DNA-DAMAGE AND REPAIR IN AMINO-ACID AUXOTROPHS AND UV-SENSITIVE MUTANTS OF ASPERGILLUS-NIDULANS USING AN ELISA

An ELISA used to investigate DNA repair in mammalian cells has been ad apted to investigate mutagen-induced DNA damage and repair in protopla sts of Aspergillus nidulans. The assay shows a reduced rate of repair of DNA damage in methionine and arginine auxotrophs (methG and argB), which mere shown previously to be hypersensitive to UV radiation and c hemical mutagens, The assay also showed a considerably reduced ability to repair mutagen-induced damage in the av-sensitive mutants uvsB and uvsH, The increased sensitivity of amino acids auxotrophs to mutagens is, therefore, correlated with a reduced capacity to repair mutagen-i nduced DNA damage.