# BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF SOLAR-UV-GENERATED OXYGEN SPECIES

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · 1989 · $106,296

## Abstract

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a proven toxicant, mutagen, and
carcinogen; little is known however about the underlying
molecular and chemical processes that cause these effects.  One
complex mechanism through which solar radiation, especially its
longer wavelength components, damages DNA is the
photosensitization reactions of photodynamic action.  These
particular reaction  pathways operate via a variety of endogenous
nonDNA sensitizer molecules, which become electronically
excited by the nearultraviolet photons.  These excited molecules,
in turn, convert groundstate molecular oxygen into a range of
reactive oxygen species that may react with DNA.  Our research
is now focused upon the identification of specific chemical
changes in DNA caused by mutagenic and carcinogenic
photosensitizations produced in cells by solar UV.  We propose to
examine the effects of certain photosensitizations upon nucleic
acid bases, nucleotides, and DNA.  These reactions can produce
new, so far unidentified, photoproducts, especially of thymine.
We propose to use DNA sequencing methodology to explore
further sitespecific damages that are imposed by different
photosensitization reactions (for instance, thymine is a preferred
site of DNA damage caused by one sensitization reaction that we
have studied, 334 nm UVA plus 4thiouridine).  We also propose
to use the same cloned DNA in a genetic transformation assay, to
correlate chemical damage with biological damage and to obtain
insights into possible repair pathways of specific lesions.  For
these efforts, we propose to combine the expertise in reactive
oxygen species of N. I. Krinsky, and the analytical chemistry
expertise and powerful analytical tools available through D. A.
Haugen and V. C. Stamoudis with the photobiological and
biophysical expertise of M. J. Peak and J. G. Peak.  These insights
may provide information relevant to our understanding of
mechanisms underlying carcinogenesis, since solar UV radiations
are the main etiological factor in the induciton of more than 70%
of all human cancers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3175709
- **Project number:** 5R01CA037848-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
- **SAM.gov UEI:** ZUE9HKT2CLC9
- **Principal Investigator:** MEYRICK J PEAK
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $106,296
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1984-08-15 → 1990-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3175709

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3175709, BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF SOLAR-UV-GENERATED OXYGEN SPECIES (5R01CA037848-06). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3175709. Licensed CC0.

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