DNA damage measured by the Comet assay in eight agronomic plants

0172312 - UEB-Q 20033037 RIV CZ eng J - Journal Article
Gichner, Tomáš - Mühlfeldová, Zdeňka - Kim, J. K.
DNA damage measured by the Comet assay in eight agronomic plants.
Biologia Plantarum. Roč. 47, č. 2 (2003), s. 185-188. ISSN 0006-3134. E-ISSN 1573-8264
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA521/02/0400; GA MŠMT LN00B030
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5038910
Keywords : Beta vulgaris * ethyl methanesulphonate * Lens esculenta
Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology
Impact factor: 0.919, year: 2003

For most crops growing in polluted areas or treated with agricultural chemicals, no genotoxicity assays are available. We have studied the possibility of using the alkaline protocol of the plant-based molecular assay - the Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis (SCGE) assay (also called Comet assay) as a method for detecting induced DNA damage in 8 agronomic important plants (ordered according to the diameter of the nuclei): sugar beet, alfalfa, tobacco, lentil, maize, potato, hard wheat, and bread wheat. The monofunctional alkylating agent ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) was applied as a model genotoxic agent on young excised leaves of the tested crops for 18 h at 26 degrees C in the dark. With increasing concentrations of 2 to 10 mM EMS, the DNA damage, expressed by the averaged median tail moment values, significantly increased in nuclei of all crops studied. No correlation between the diameter of nuclei and sensitivity to EMS treat ment was observed. The data obtained demonstrate the feasibility of using the Comet assay for detecting induced DNA damage in crops.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0069351