The occurrence of preferential repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae of the active MAT alpha locus compared with the inactive HML alpha locus was confirmed after 254 nm UV irradiation. Experiments carried out using the UvrABC excinuclease assay with the monofunctional furocoumarin 3-carbethoxypsoralen (3-CPs) plus UVA radiation which induce mainly monoadducts in DNA demonstrated preferential repair of the active MAT alpha locus compared with the inactive HML alpha locus in a SIR+ strain. However, as after 254 nm UV irradiation, no difference in the rate of removal of 3-CPs plus UVA induced lesions was observed between the two loci in the sir-3 mutant in which both loci are active. Thus, it appears that 3-CPs plus UVA induced monoadducts as well as pyrimidine dimers are subject to preferential repair.