Global repair is the primary nucleotide excision repair subpathway for the removal of pyrimidine-pyrimidone (6-4) damage from the Arabidopsis genome

Ultraviolet (UV) component of solar radiation impairs genome stability by inducing the formation of pyrimidine-pyrimidone (6-4) photoproducts [(6-4)PPs] in plant genomes. (6-4)PPs disrupt growth and development by interfering with transcription and DNA replication. To resist UV stress, plants employ both photoreactivation and nucleotide excision repair that excises oligonucleotide containing (6-4)PPs through two subpathways: global and transcription-coupled excision repair (TCR). Here, we analyzed the genome-wide excision repair-mediated repair of (6-4)PPs in Arabidopsis thaliana and found that (6-4)PPs can be repaired by TCR; however, the main subpathway to remove (6-4)PPs from the genome is global repair. Our analysis showed that open chromatin genome regions are more rapidly repaired than heterochromatin regions, and the repair level peaks at the promoter, transcription start site and transcription end site of genes. Our study revealed that the repair of (6-4)PP in plants showed a distinct genome-wide repair profile compared to the repair of other major UV-induced DNA lesion called cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs).