Pyrimidine dimer DNA glycosylases excise pyrimidine dimers by hydrolysis of the glycosylic bond of the 5' pyrimidine, followed by the intra-pyrimidine phosphodiester bond. Pyrimidine dimers are the major UV-lesions of DNA.

1: X-ray structure of T4 endonuclease V: an excision repair enzyme specific for a pyrimidine dimer. Morikawa K, Matsumoto O, Tsujimoto M, Katayanagi K, Ariyoshi M, Doi T, Ikehara M, Inaoka T, Ohtsuka E; Science 1992;256:523-526. PMID:1575827