Novel Human and Mouse Homologs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA Polymerase η

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD30 gene encodes a novel eukaryotic DNA polymerase, pol η that is able to replicate across cis-syn cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers both accurately and efficiently. Very recently, a human homolog of RAD30 was identified, mutations in which result in the sunlight-sensitive, cancer-prone, Xeroderma pigmentosum variant group phenotype. We report here the cloning and localization of a second human homolog of RAD30. Interestingly, RAD30B is localized on chromosome 18q21.1 in a region that is often implicated in the etiology of many human cancers. The mouse homolog (Rad30b) is located on chromosome 18E2. The human RAD30B and mouse Rad30b mRNA transcripts, like many repair proteins, are highly expressed in the testis. In situ hybridization analysis indicates that expression of mouse Rad30b occurs predominantly in postmeiotic round spermatids. Database searches revealed genomic and EST sequences from other eukaryotes such as Aspergillus nidulans, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Brugia malayi, Caenorhabditis elegans, Trypanosoma cruzi, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Drosophila melanogaster that also encode putative homologs of RAD30, thereby suggesting that Rad30-dependent translesion DNA synthesis is conserved within the eukaryotic kingdom.