Nonuniform distribution of DNA repair in chromatin after treatment with methyl methanesulfonate.

The distribution of methyl methanesulfonate induced DNA repair was measured in mouse mammary cell chromatin by digestion of "repair labeled" nuclei with micrococcal nuclease. The results indicate that there is a nonuniform distribution of DNA repair in chromatin. The chromatin fraction digested during the first 5 minutes of incubation with micrococcal nuclease appears to be a primary site of DNA repair after methyl methanesulfoante treatment. The observed nonuniform distribution of DNA repair in chromatin may be due to 1)a nonrandom alkylation of DNA in chromatin by methyl methanesulfonate or 2)areas in chromatin of increased accessibility for the repair enzymes to the DNA lesions.