part of nucleotide-excision repair nucleotide-excision repair, preincision complex assembly biological_process The aggregation, arrangement and bonding together of proteins on DNA to form the multiprotein complex involved in damage recognition, DNA helix unwinding, and endonucleolytic cleavage at the site of DNA damage. This assembly occurs before the phosphodiester backbone of the damaged strand is cleaved 3' and 5' of the site of DNA damage. nucleotide-excision repair, preincision complex formation GO:0006294 protein-DNA complex assembly