Effect of near-UV (366 nm) on the activity of certain nucleic acid enzymes in Verticillium agaricinum.

Verticillium agaricinum when grown for 60 min under near-UV irradiation (366 nm) followed by 24 h in darkness produced maximal activity of a number of nucleic acid enzymes (DNase I, endonuclease, nuclease, RNase A, and RNase T1). Total protein and nucleic acid on the other hand showed a decrease under the same conditions. The nucleic acid enzymes which are involved in reversible reactions seem to favour nucleic acid degradation in this study.