Monoclonal antibody to single-stranded DNA: A potential tool for DNA repair studies

Growing evidence suggests that DNA repair capacity is an important factor i n cancer risk and is therefore essential to assess. Immunochemical assays a re amenable to the detection of repair products in complex matrices, such a s urine, facilitating noninvasive measurements, although diet and extra-DNA sources of lesion can confound interpretation. The production of single-st randed, lesion-containing DNA oligomers characterises nucleotide excision r epair (NER) and hence defines the repair pathway from which a lesion may be derived. Herein we describe the characterisation of a monoclonal antibody which recognises guanine moieties in single-stranded DNA. Application of th is antibody in ELISA, demonstrated such oligomers in supernatants from repa ir-proficient cells post-insult. Testing of urine samples from volunteers d emonstrated a relationship between oligomer levels and two urinary DNA dama ge products, thymine dimers and 8-oxo-2 ' -deoxyguanosine, supporting our h ypothesis that NER gives rise to lesion-containing oligomers which are spec ific targets for the investigation of DNA repair. (C) 2001 Academic Press.