Induced DNA damage measured by the Comet assay in 10 weed species

0172228 - UEB-Q 20023010 RIV CZ eng J - Journal Article
Gichner, Tomáš - Mühlfeldová, Zdeňka
Induced DNA damage measured by the Comet assay in 10 weed species.
Biologia Plantarum. Roč. 45, č. 4 (2002), s. 509-516. ISSN 0006-3134. E-ISSN 1573-8264
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA521/02/0400
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5038910
Keywords : Arabidopsis thaliana * Agropyron repens * Bellis perennis
Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology
Impact factor: 0.583, year: 2002

For most plant species growing in polluted areas no mutagenicity assays are available. We have studied the possibility of using the alkaline protocol of the Comet assay as a method for detecting induced DNA damage in wildly growing weeds. The monofuctional alkylating agent ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) was applied on leaves of 10 weed species (ordered according to the diameter of the nuclei): Arabidopsis thaliana, Convolvulus arvensis, Bellis perennis, Urtica dioica, Lamium album, Chenopodium rubrum, Plantago media, Poa annua, Taraxacum officinale, and Agropyron repens. With increasing concentrations of EMS (2 to 10 mM) the DNA damage, expressed by the averaged median tail moment values, significantly increased in nuclei of all weeds studied. Using the Head Extent parameter of the Komet version 3.1, we have measured the diameter size of the nuclei of the 10 weed species either immediately after the isolation of the nuclei or after 20 or 45 min of treatment with alkaline buffer (pH > 13).
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0069267