Increased nuclear cyclin/PCNA antigen staining of non S-phase transformed human amnion cells engaged in nucleotide excision DNA repair.

PCNA autoantibodies specific for cyclin/PCNA were used to determine the nuclear distribution of this protein in transformed human amnion cells (AMA) irradiated with ultraviolet light (254 nm) under conditions that induced nucleotide excision DNA repair synthesis. The results showed a striking increase in nuclear cyclin/PCNA antigen staining of non S-phase cells that was not abolished by cycloheximide (20 micrograms/ml, added 2 h before irradiation), and that is most likely due to a redistribution of pre-existing cyclin. These observations raise the possibility that cyclin/PCNA may play a role in nucleotide excision DNA repair synthesis in addition to its putative role in replicative DNA synthesis.