Mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana which are defective in the repair of DNA damage induced by ultraviolet light will be isolated. Genetic analysis will be used to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the various pathways required for reversal or repair of damage to DNA and determine which of the repair pathways are involved. Mutants defective in recombination can be expected to also be isolated since many basic cellular mechanisms also utilize the repair pathways. After mutant characterization, strategies for cloning the involved genes will be pursued. The availability of DNA repair mutants of this model organism will enhance studies of this important area of research in plants.***
