Applying various restriction enzymes on a specially designed 1.5 kb DNA fragment revealed that the inhibitory effects of PUVA treatment on restriction endonuclease activities are caused by recognition inhibition. In this study, Restriction enzymes which have a 5'-TpA sequence at the cleaving site (Kpn I, Xba I, Pme I, and Dra I), and non-cleaving site (Pac I) in recognition sites, or have two 5'-TpA sequences at the recognition site and a non-specific sequence between recognition and cleaving site (BciV I) were inhibited by PUVA treatment. Most of the other restriction enzymes used in this study which do not have a 5'-TpA sequence at their restriction site were not inhibited by PUVA treatment, although a 5'-TpA sequence is located adjacent (Sma I) or very close (BamH I, Sac I and Pst I) to the recognition and cleaving site for them.