Cellular DNA Repair of Oxidative Deoxyribose Damage by Mammalian Long-Patch Base Excision Repair

2-Deoxyribonolactone (dL) arises as a major DNA damage induced by a variety of agents, involving free radical attack and oxidation of C1'-deoxyribose in DNA. We investigated whether dL lesions can be repaired in mammalian cells and the mechanisms underlying the role of DNA polymerase $\beta$ in processing of dL lesions. Pol $\beta$ appeared to be trapped by dL residues, resulting in stable DNA-protein cross-links. However, repair DNA synthesis at site-specific dL sites occurred effectively in cell-free extracts, but predominantly accompanied by long-patch base excision repair (BER) pathway. Reconstitution of long-patch BER demonstrated that FEN1 was capable of removing the displaced flap DNA containing a 5'-dL residue. Cellular repair of dL lesions was largely dependent on the DNA polymerase activity of Pol $\beta$. Our observations reveal repair mechanisms of dL and define how mammalian cells prevent cytotoxic effects of oxidative DNA lesions that may threaten the genetic integrity of DNA.