Monitoring DNA damage in wood small-reed (Calamagrostis epigejos) plants growing in a sediment reservoir with substrates from uranium mining

0172225 - UEB-Q 20023007 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Ptáček, Ondřej - Mühlfeldová, Zdeňka - Dostálek, J. - Čechák, T. - Gichner, Tomáš
Monitoring DNA damage in wood small-reed (Calamagrostis epigejos) plants growing in a sediment reservoir with substrates from uranium mining.
Journal of Environmental Monitoring. Roč. 4, - (2002), s. 592-595. ISSN 1464-0325
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA521/02/0400
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5038910
Keywords : DNA * Calamagrostis epigejos * uranium mining
Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology
Impact factor: 1.348, year: 2002

For most plant species growing in polluted areas genotoxicity assays are not available. We have studied the possibility of using the alkaline protocol of the Comet assay as a method for detecting induced DNA damage in a grass Calamagrostis epigejos, growing wild in highly polluted areas. To calibrate the Comet assay for C. epigejos, two model mutagens were applied: the monofuctional alkylating agent ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) and gamma-rays. With increasing concentrations of EMS (0 to 10 mM, 18 h treatment at 26 C) applied on excised leaves, the DNA damage, as expressed by the tail moment (TM) values, increased from 4.7 0.9 to 60.8 2.7 urn. After gamma irradiation (0 to 30 Gy) the TM value increased from 4.2 + 0.2 to 48.1 1.7 um. A 24 to 72 h recovery of leaves after EMS treatment in an EMS-free medium did not result in a significant change in the induced EMS damage. By contrast, a 24 h recovery after gamma-irradiation led to a complete repair of DNA damage measurable by the Comet assay.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0069264