Multiple functions of human UV DNA repair endonuclease III

There are 3 UV DNA repair endonuclease activities in mammalian cells that cleave UV -irradiated DNA. Interestingly, mammalian UV endonuclease III with MW of 26.7kD has a lyase activity on AP sites. It also cleaves the phosphodiester bond within a cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer. Genomic analysis of human repair endonuclease III gene revealed that this gene has 100% sequence identity with ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3). Therefore, rpS3 seems to function both in translation and in DNA repair. This gene of about 6.1 kb contains 6 introns and 7 exons, and the first and fifth introns of human rpS3 gene contain functional U15 small nucleolar (sno) RNAs which appear to be involved in ribosome assembly. It is to be noted that the column profile of the endonuclease activity of rpS3 appears to be altered in Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) group D cells compared to normal cells indicating that this protein is involved in XP disease as well. XP is a human disease characterized by high sensitivity of skin by UV- or sun-light irradiation and by high frequency of developing skin cancers. We also report here that rpS3 protein is involved in other cellular functions.