Topic summary
Pyrimidine dimers
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Pyrimidine dimer.
Pyrimidine dimers are chemical species issued from a photochemical reaction involving two pyrimidine (P) nucleobases (thymine, cytosine, or uracil) through formation of new covalent bonds. The discovery of pyrimidine dimers was initially prompted by the observation that ultraviolet (UV) radiation inactivates cells. Over the years, experimental and theoretical studies, performed mainly on model DNA and RNA systems in solution, shed light on the primary processes underlying their formation. In parallel, such dimers have been detected in living cells and skin, and their impact on biological processes has been extensively characterized.