DNA double-strand breaks induced along the trajectory of particles

It is well-known that the DNA damage caused by charged particles considerably differs from damage due to electromagnetic radiation. In the case of irradiation by charged particles the DNA lesions are more complex and clustered. Such clustered damage is presumed difficult to be repaired, and is potentially lethal. In this study, we utilize a 90°-scattering system and related imaging techniques to investigate the accumulation of γ-H2AX along the trajectory of charged particles. By immunostaining the γ-H2AX protein, optical images of corresponding double strand breaks were observed using a high resolution confocal microscope. We demonstrate the difference in the accumulation of γ-H2AX from irradiation by 1 MeV protons and that of 150 keV X-rays. The acquired images were arranged and reconstructed into a 3D image using ImageJ software. We discovered that the γ-H2AX foci, following irradiation by protons, have a tendency to extend in the beam direction, while those from X-ray irradiation tend to be smaller and more randomly distributed. These results can be explained by the physical model of energy deposition.     

他莫昔芬联合60CO γ射线辐照下调脑胶质瘤细胞PKCα蛋白表达的实验研究

研究他莫昔芬(Tamoxifen,TAM)联合Y射线辐照对脑胶质瘤细胞PKCα蛋白表达的影响,初步探讨TAM降低辐射抗性的机制.采用Western-Blot法检测PKCα和G1期调控蛋白CylinD1的表达;碱性单细胞凝胶电泳法检测DNA链断裂.结果提示,TAM联合γ射线辐照可诱导PKCα蛋白和CyclinD1蛋白表达...     

三(2-苯甲酰胺乙基)胺及其Eu3+配合物的合成、表征及与DNA作用研究

合成了新型三脚架结构配体E(2-苯甲酰胺乙基)胺及其稀土Eu(3+)配合物.通过元素分析、IR、1H-NMR、TG-DTA和摩尔电导对此化合物进行组成和结构推测,结果显示配合物[EuL(NO3)2]·NO3是1:1型配位,3个硝酸根中有两个处于配位内界与Eu(3+)配位,总配位数为8.通过紫外吸收光谱、荧光发射光谱、粘度法及其与溴化乙啶(EB)的竞争实验研究了配合物与ct-DNA的作用情况,结果显示,配合物与ct-DNA作用时,其紫外吸收产生明显增色效应,荧光强度增强;EB-DNA体系的荧光强度随配合物的加入迅速减弱;配合物的加入使ct-DNA的粘度增加;实验结果证明,配合物与ct-DNA以插入方式结合,其键合常数Kq=8.86×10(3)L·mol(-1).凝胶电泳实验表明配合物[EuL(NO3)2]·NO3不能将pUC19 DNA选择性的断裂成线型和开环型DNA,并分析讨论了其原因.     

Synthesis, characterization and DNA binding of the complexes of rare earth with phenanthroline and demethylcantharate

Three novel rare earth complexes, [Ln2(DCA)2(phen)2](NO3)2·6H2O (Ln(III)=Sm(III)(1), Er(III)(2), Yb(III)(3); DCA2-=de-methylcantharate, 7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1] heptane-2,3-dicarboxylate, C8H8O52-; phen=1,10-phenanthroline, C12H8N2) were synthesized. The structures were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, IR and TGA. The results suggested that the structural features of the complexes were: in each DCA2-, one carboxylate group, as bidentate bridging group, connected two rare earth ions; the other carboxylate group, as bidentate chelate group took part in the coordination with rare earth ion. And cyclic ether oxygen of DCA2- and nitrogen atoms of phen took part in the coordination. The probable coordination number was seven. The interaction of the complexes with DNA was studied by UV-spectra, fluorescence spectra and viscosity measurements. Following increasing the concentration of DNA, the UV absorption bands nearby 265 nm of the three complexes appeared hypochromism and red-shift phenomena. And the values of binding constants Kb were 1.89×105 L/mol (1), 3.54×104 L/mol (2) and 3.83×104 L/mol (3). The complexes could quench the fluorescence of EB-DNA system, and the values of equilibrium constants Ksq were 1.72(1), 0.56(2) and 1.09(3). The relative viscosity of DNA steadily decreased with increasing the concentration of complexes. So, we could infer that the complexes may partially insert into DNA. The study of agarose gel electrophoresis showed that the complexes could cleave plasmid DNA, and the process of the reaction was through unclassical redox mechanism.     

Application of flow cytometric DNA measurements in the detection of irradiated onions

Nuclei from meristem tissue cells of onion bulbs γ-irradiated (60–90 Gy) for sprout inhibition and non-irrádiated control bulbs were isolated periodically during ambient (27–32°C) storage, stained with the fluorochrome 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole and their DNA distribution histograms measured by flow cytometry (FCM). Nuclei from irradiated onions showed a broader DNA distribution profile appearing as a wide (high) coefficient of variation (CV, 4–78%) of the G₀/G₁ peak as compared with non-irradiated samples (CV, 2.39%). The DNA index (DI) of the diploid cells in control onions was 1 as against 0.74 in irradiated samples which indicated the presence of G₀/G₁ cells with abnormal DNA content in the meristem tissue cells of irradiated onions. The results indicate the potential application of quantitating changes in DNA content using FCM by determining CV of the G₀/G₁ peak as well as DI for differentiating irradiated from non-irradiated onion bulbs.     

Docking onto chromatin via the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad9 Tudor domain

An integrated cellular response to DNA damage is essential for the maintenance of genome integrity. Recently, post-translational modifications to histone proteins have been implicated in DNA damage responses involving the Rad9 family of checkpoint proteins. In budding yeast, methylation of histone H3 on lysine 79 (H3-K79me) has been shown to be required for efficient checkpoint signalling and Rad9 localization on chromatin. Here, we have used a rad9 Tudor mutant allele and cells mutated for Dot1, the H3-K79 methylase, to analyse the epistatic relationship between RAD9 and DOT1 genes regarding the DNA damage resistance and checkpoint activation pathways. Our results show that RAD9 is epistatic to DOT1 and suggest that it acts downstream of the Dot1 methylase in the damage resistance and checkpoint response. We have also found that the Tudor domain of Rad9 is necessary for in vitro binding to H3-K79me as well as Rad9 focal accumulation in response to DNA damage in vivo. In summary, our study demonstrates that the interaction between Rad9, via its Tudor domain, and methylated H3-K79 is required at two different steps of the DNA damage response, an early step corresponding to checkpoint activation, and a late step corresponding to DNA repair. The study further shows that the function of this interaction is cell cycle-regulated; the role in checkpoint activation is restricted to the G(1) phase and its role in DNA repair is restricted to G(2).     

Creation of ARS activity in yeast through iteration of non-functional sequences

Replication origins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been identified through the cloning of autonomous replication sequence (ARS) elements that allow the extrachromosomal maintenance of plasmid molecules. ARS activity requires a close match to an 11 bp consensus sequence and A + T-rich flanking DNA. ARS elements with a wide range of capacities for promoting plasmid maintenance have been described. We determined the ARS activity of plasmids with inserts consisting of repetitions of a 64 bp 100% A + T sequence that has sequence similarities to known ARS elements. An insert with approximately four repeats did not yield transformants, but inserts with either eight or eleven repeats did. The cooperative production of ARS activity did not require a contiguous arrangement since a plasmid containing two inserts of four repeats each, separated by about 1 kb, was functional. Our results show that a change from non-function to function can be accomplished by the cumulative action of individually inactive sequences. We conclude that the probability of replication initiation is too low with only four repeats to allow plasmid maintenance, but the overall probability is increased by further sequence iteration to provide origin activity. We suggest that chromosomes may contain stretches with dispersed, weak origin elements, each undetected by the conventional ARS assay, that in sum provide origin function.     

Detection of Panax quinquefolius in Panax ginseng using 'subtracted diversity array'

BACKGROUND: Food adulteration remains a major global concern. DNA fingerprinting has several advantages over chemical and morphological identification techniques. DNA microarray‐based fingerprinting techniques have not been used previously to detect adulteration involving dried commercial samples of closely related species. Here we report amplification of low‐level DNA obtained from dried commercial ginseng samples using the Qiagen^? REPLI‐g^® Kit. Further, we used a subtracted diversity array (SDA) to fingerprint the two ginseng species, Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius, that are frequently mixed for adulteration. RESULTS: The two ginseng species were successfully discriminated using SDA. Further, SDA was sensitive enough to detect a deliberate adulteration of 10% P. quinquefolius in P. ginseng. Thirty‐nine species‐specific features including 30 P. ginseng‐specific and nine P. quinquefolius‐specific were obtained. This resulted in a feature polymorphism rate of 10.5% from the 376 features used for fingerprinting the two ginseng species. The functional characterization of 14 Panax species‐specific features by sequencing revealed one putative ATP synthase, six putative uncharacterized proteins, and two retroelements to be different in these two species. CONCLUSION: SDA can be employed to detect adulterations in a broad range of plant samples. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

The polymerase chain reaction: Applications for the detection of foodborne pathogens

Faster methods for the detection of foodborne microbial pathogens are needed. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can amplify specific segments of DNA and is used to detect and identify bacterial genes responsible for causing diseases in humans. The major features and requirements for the PCR are described along with a number of important variations. A considerable number of PCR‐based assays have been developed, but they have been applied most often to clinical and environmental samples and more rarely for the detection of foodborne microorganisms. Much of the difficulty in implementing PCR for the analysis of food samples lies in the problems encountered during the preparation of template DNAs from food matrices; a variety of approaches and considerations are examined. PCR methods developed for the detection and identification of particular bacteria, viruses, and parasites found in foods are described and discussed, and the major features of these reactions are summarized.