part Part I Mechanisms of Damage Recognition: Theoretical Considerations -- chapter 1 Dynamics of DNA Damage Recognition / chapter 2 In Search of Damaged Bases / chapter 3 Increased Specificity and Efficiency of Base Excision Repair Through Complex Formation / part PART II. UV DAMAGE AND OTHER BULKY DNA-ADDUCTS -- chapter 4 Structure and Properties of DNA Photoproducts / chapter 5 Damage Recognition by DNA Photolyases / chapter 6 Damage Recognition by the Bacterial Nucleotide Excision Repair Machinery / chapter 7 Recognition of DNA Damage During Eukaryotic Nucleotide Excision Repair / chapter 8 Interactions of the Transcription Machinery with DNA Damage in Prokaryotes / chapter 9 DNA Repair in Actively Transcribed Genes in Eukaryotic Cells / chapter 10 Chromatin Structure and the Repair of UV Light-Induced DNA Damage / chapter 11 The Ultraviolet Damage Endonuclease (UVDE) Protein and Alternative and Processing / chapter 12 Structural Aspects of Pt-DNA Adduct Recognition by Proteins / chapter 13 Structural Aspects of Polycyclic Aromatic Carcinogen-Damaged DNA and Its Recognition by NER Proteins / part PART III. NON-BULKY BASE DAMAGE -- chapter 14 Structural Features of DNA Glycosylases and AP Endonucleases / chapter 15 Repair of Oxidized Bases / chapter 16 Recognition of Alkylating Agent Damage in DNA / chapter 17 Deaminated Bases in DNA / chapter 18 New Paradigms for DNA Base Excision Repair in Mammals / chapter 19 Recognition and Repair of Abasic Sites / chapter 20 Oxidative Mitochondrial DNA Damage Resistance and Repair / part PART IV. MISMATCH REPAIR -- chapter 21 Mechanism of DNA Mismatch Repair from Bacteria to Human / chapter 22 Interaction of the Escherichia coli Vsr with DNA and Mismatch Repair Proteins / part PART V. REPLICATION AND BYPASS OF DNA LESIONS -- chapter 23 Mechanism of Translesion DNA Synthesis in Escherichia coli / chapter 24 Mechanism of Bypass Polymerases in Eukaryotes / chapter 25 Structural Features of Bypass Polymerases / chapter 26 Regulation of Damage Tolerance by the RAD6 Pathway / part PART VI. DNA STRAND BREAKS -- chapter 27 Biochemical and Cellular Aspects of Homologous Recombination / chapter 28 The Mechanism of Vertebrate Nonhomologous DNA End Joining and Its Role in Immune System Gene Rearrangements / chapter 29 Structural Aspects of Ku and the DNA-Dependent Protein Kinase Complex / chapter 30 Cellular Functions of Mammalian DNA Ligases / chapter 31 The Mre11/Rad50/Nbs1 Complex / chapter 32 Histone c-H2AX Involvement in DNA Double-Strand Break Repair Pathways / chapter 33 DNA Strand-Break Recognition, Signaling, and Resolution: The Role of Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerases-1 and -2 / part Part VII Perception of DNA Damage for Initiating Regulatory Responses -- chapter 34 Cellular and Molecular Responses to Alkylation Damage in DNA / chapter 35 Damage Signals Triggering the Escherichia coli SOS Response / chapter 36 Recognition of DNA Damage as the Initial Step of Eukaryotic Checkpoint Arrest / chapter 37 Responses to Replication of DNA Damage