ABSTRACT
The genome is continuously damaged by metabolites from cellular processes and by environmental agents. The inability to correct DNA damage brings about unwanted genetic changes in critical genes and eventually can lead to aberrant cellular growth or cancer. Protecting the genome from changes leading to disease and/or death is therefore vital to the survival of a species. Consequently, it is important to understand the diverse cellular systems for DNA damage repair available for protection from an enormous array of DNA lesions. Base excision repair (BER) is considered the predominant pathway for repair of small DNA lesions resulting from exposure to either environmental agents or cellular metabolic processes that produce alkylating agents, reactive oxygen species, and/or other reactive metabolites able to modify DNA (1-4).
