Consistently, in the case of DNA photoproduct excision-proficient melanoma cells, siRNA-mediated depletion of ATR (but not of its immediate downstream effector kinase Chk1) engenders deficient NER specifically during S. On the other hand simultaneous siRNA-mediated depletion of ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase (ATM) and DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) exerts no significant effect on either phosphorylation of H2AX at 1 h post-UV or the efficiency of DNA photoproduct removal. The gene discussed is ATM; the disease is melanoma.