Dose dependence of DNA repair in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) larvae exposed to UV-B radiation

We examined survival and DNA damage in rainbow trout larvae (Oncorhynchus mykiss) resulting from a range of sublethal to lethal ultraviolet-B exposures in the presence and absence of photoreactivating radiation. We found that after low, sublethal UV-B exposures trout larvae are quite proficient at photoenzymatic repair but that this capacity decreases exponentially with the total incident UV-B dose. The relationship between the dose dependence of PER and trout development and vulnerability in fisheries and in the natural environment are discussed.