Quantitative patterns in the cytogenetic action of microwaves

It was shown on hepatocytes of albino mongrel rats that the energy flow density (EFD) of 100 muW/cm2 approximated the level at which the mutagenic effects of microwaves started developing (3,000 MHz, pulse frequency 400 Hz, 60 days, 12 h a day). The severity of the mutagenic effects of radiation with EFD of 100, 500 and 2,500 muW/cm2 depended on the type of the microwave generation that was responsible for the energy loading variations. The increase in the total radiation energy levelled the mutagenic effects of microwaves of all three intensities.     

Radiation-induced mutagenicity and lethality in ames tester strains of salmonella

Mutation and killing induced by X radiation and 60CO gamma radiation were studied in six different histidine-requiring auxotrophs of Salmonella typhimurium. Strain TA100, which is sensitive to base-pair substitutions, and strains TA2637 and TA98, which are sensitive to frameshifts, carry the pKM101 plasmid and exhibit significantly higher radiation-induced mutations compared to their plasmidless parent strains TA1535, TA1537, and TA1538, respectively. Among the plasmid-containing strains, TA98 and TA2637 are much more sensitive to the mutagenic action of radiation than is TA100 based on a comparison with their respective spontaneous mutation rates; however, no uniformity was observed in the responses of the strains to the lethal action of ionizing radiation. The pKM101 plasmid provides partial protection against lethality in TA100 and TA2637, whereas the same plasmid enhances the lethal action of ionizing radiation in TA98. The following conclusions are consistent with these observations: (1) the standard Ames Salmonella assay correctly identifies ionizing radiation as a mutagenic agent; (2) frameshift-sensitive parent strains are more sensitive to the mutagenic effects of ionizing radiation than is the only strain studied that is sensitive to base-pair substitutions; and (3) enhancement of mutagenesis and survival is related to plasmid-mediated repair of DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation and does not involve damage induced by Cerenkov-generated uv radiation which is negligible for our irradiation conditions.     

Radiation-induced modification of the chromosome sensitivity of human somatic cells to the testing mutagenic exposure of bleomycin in vitro

Hidden chromosome instability in 53 persons who underwent radiation exposure of different intensity was evaluated with the use of the modified G₂-bleomycin sensitivity assay. A wide interindividual variability in the frequency of chromosome aberrations and absence of positive correlation between the background and bleomycin-induced cytogenetic effects in all examined individuals were found. The maximal number (57.9%) of individuals hypersensitive to the testing mutagenic activity of bleomycin was found in the group of reconvalescents of acute radiation syndrome. In the other groups, the frequency of individuals with hidden chromosome instability was practically the same and did not exceed 33.3%. The results confirmed the reality of the radiation-induced modification of genetically determined susceptibility of human somatic cell chromosomes to mutagenic stress; such susceptibility depends on the intensity and character of irradiation.     

The lethal and mutagenic action of 3H incorporated into the 2' position of the deoxyribose in the DNA of the extracellular phage lambda]

The lethal and mutagenic effects of 3H decay in 2' position of deoxyribose residues in DNA of extracellular lambda phage were studied, [2'-3H]-deoxyadenosine (3H-dA) or [2'-3H]-thymidine (3H-dT) being used as labelled DNA precursors. As estimated by the efficiency of the lethal and mutagenic actions of 3H decay in position 2' was significantly lower than that of the decay in the incorporated 3H-pyrimidines. The genetic effects of 3H decay in 2' position may be attributed to the radiation effect of beta-particles on DNA. In UV-irradiated E. coli cells, with the induced SOS repair, the mutagenic effect of 3H-dA in phage lambda is significantly higher than that of 3H-dT. This is perhaps related to the formation in DNA of AP-sites, resulting from 3H-decay in 2' position, and to the predominant incorporation of adenosine residues opposite to AP-sites during SOS repair.     

Antimutagenicity of WR-1065 in L5178Y cells exposed to accelerated (56)Fe ions

The ability of the aminothiol WR-1065 [N-(2-mercaptoethyl)-1,3-diaminopropane] to protect L5178Y (LY) cells against the cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of exposure to accelerated (56)Fe ions (1.08 GeV/nucleon) was determined. It was found that while WR-1065 reduced the mutagenicity in both cell lines when it was present during the irradiation, the addition of WR-1065 after the exposure had no effect on the mutagenicity of the radiation in either cell line. No marked protection against the cytotoxic effects of exposure to (56)Fe ions was provided by WR-1065 when added either during or after irradiation in either cell line. We reported previously that WR-1065 protected the LY-S1 and LY-SR1 cell lines against both the cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of X radiation when present during exposure, but that its protection when administered after exposure was limited to the mutagenic effects in the radiation-hypersensitive cell line, LY-S1. The results indicate that the mechanisms involved differ in the protection against cytotoxic compared to mutagenic effects and in the protection against damage caused by accelerated (56)Fe ions compared to X radiation.     

Lethal and mutagenic action of solar radiation on model microbiological test systems

Lethal, mutagenic and recombonogenic action of the solar radiation on the model microorganisms--phage T4, bacteria Escherichia coli and ascomycet Aspergillus nidulans--has been studied. A considerable lethal effect of the solar radiation on phage T4 and E. coli was found. An increasing of mutation frequency in E. coli and A. nidulans by sunlight was also revealed. Recombinogenic action of solar radiation has been demonstrated in the experiments with diploid A. nidulans strains. It was shown that the excision and postreplication repair systems took part in recovery of damages induced by sunlight. An important role of ultra-violet region (280-320 nm) solar radiation in induction of lethal and mutagenic effects was demonstrated for all investigated microorganisms.     

Fixation and repair of radiation-induced potentially mutagenic damage sensitive to hypertonic treatment in human diploid fibroblasts

The effect of hypertonic salt treatment on the repair of potentially lethal damage and potentially mutagenic damage in X-irradiated asynchronous and synchronous human diploid fibroblasts (IMR91) have been studied. Resistance to 6-thioguanine was used for the mutagenic end point. When cells in late-S-phase were treated with hypertonic salt solution immediately after X-irradiation, both cell killing and mutation induction were enhanced, as compared to X-irradiation alone. This suggests that X-irradiation of cells in late S phase induces both potentially lethal damage and potentially mutagenic damage and that both are sensitive to hypertonic salt solution. When cells were allowed 2 h for repair after exposure to X-rays, both types of damage were completely repaired. Almost the same results were obtained with asynchronous cells. These results are discussed in terms of the relationship between radiation damage leading to cell lethality and mutagenesis.     

Influence of mutations at the rep gene on survival of Escherichia coli following ultraviolet light irradiation or 8-methoxypsoralen photosensitization: evidence for a recA+ rep+-dependent pathway for repair of DNA crosslinks

The mutagenic interaction between near-ultraviolet (365 nm) radiation and the alkylating agents ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) and methyl methanesulphonate (MMS) was studied in a repair-competent and an excision-deficient strain of Escherichia coli. Near-UV radiation modified the metabolic response of exposure to these chemicals and either reduced or increased their mutagenic efficiency. Based on these results, an experimental model was formulated to explain the mutagenic interactions that occur between near-UV and various agents that induce prototrophic revertants via error-prone repair of DNA. According to this model, low doses of near-UV provoke conditions for mutation frequency decline (MFD) and lead to a mutagenic antagonism. With increasing near-UV doses, damage to constitutive error-free repair systems increases, favouring the error-prone system and inhibiting the MFD. Under these conditions there will be a progressive decrease in antagonism until at high doses an enhancement of mutation frequency (positive interaction) will occur.     

Mutagenic interaction between near-(365 nm) and far-(254 nm)ultraviolet radiation in repair-proficient and excision-deficient strains of Escherichia coli.

The mutational interaction between radiation at 365 and 254 nm was studied in various strains of E. coli by a mutant assay based on reversion to amino-acid independence in full nutrient conditions. In the two repair-proficient strains (K12 AB 1157 and B/r), pre-treatment with radiation at 365 nm strongly suppressed the induction of mutations by far-UV, a phenomenon accompanied by a strong lethal interaction. The frequency of mutations induced by far-UV progressively declined with increasing dose of near-UV. Far-UV-induced mutagenesis to T5 resistance was almost unaltered by pre-treatment with near-UV. In AB 1886 uvrA there was no lethal interaction between the two wavelengths but the mutagenic interaction was synergistic. This synergism was maximal at a 365-nm dose of 8 X 10(5) J m-2. It is proposed that in the wild-type strain, cells containing potentially mutagenic lesions are selectively eliminated from the population because of abortive excision of an error-prone repair-inducing signal. In excisionless strains, 365-nm radiation may be less damaging to the error-prone than to the error-free post-replication repair system. Alternatively, mutation may be enhanced because of the occurrence of error-prone repair of 365-nm lesions by a system that is not induced in the absence of 254-nm radiation.     

The mutagenic effect of accelerated heavy ions on E. coli cells

In studying E. coli mutation rate as a function of dose of different types of ionizing radiation it was found that mutagenic efficiency of helium ions (LET-22, 54 and 72 keV/microns) was higher than that of gamma-rays. As LET increased the mutagenic efficiency decreased. The mutation rate for all types of radiation under study was both a power function and a linear-quadratic function of dose.     

Modern problems of biodosimetry

Humans have different radiosensitivity. Besides, many factors which are not under control can change significantly biological effects of radiation. Some of substances are present in our food--residual amounts of fertilizers or herbicides can be mutagenic or influence mutagenic action of radiation. In the last case synergetic or antagonistic effects can be observed. At the same time many food products contain radioprotectors or antimutagens. Some drugs, stress, virus diseases and so on can change biological effects of radiation too. Radioadaptive response is one of the most significant factors which can be responsible for incorrect radiation dose evaluation. All these uncontrolled factors may be responsible for significant mistakes of evaluating radiation dose by biological methods. That is why biological methods can be used for bioindication but not for biodosimetry.     

Sodium butyrate affects the cytotoxic and mutagenic response of V79 Chinese hamster cells to the genotoxic agents, daunorubicin and U.V. radiation

It has been suggested that conditions which lead to modifications in the chromatin structure could be responsible for an increased accessibility of DNA to genotoxic agents in eukaryotic cells. With this in mind, the cytotoxic and mutagenic activity of the anthracycline antibiotic, daunorubicin, and of UV radiation was assayed on V79 Chinese hamster cells pretreated or not with 5 mM sodium butyrate, an agent known to induce modifications in the chromatin structure: this treatment in fact proved to induce the hyperacetylation of the core histones, and moreover to enhance the cytotoxic response of the cells to both daunorubicin and UV radiation and the mutagenic response to daunorubicin.     

氩离子激光照射对类球红细菌的诱变效应及对辅酶Q10产生量的影响

以低产量辅酶Q10类球红细菌为亲本,以氩离子激光为诱变源,对其幅照诱变,结果发现:亲本株发生了明显的诱变效应,出现了不同的色素突变表型。诱变后的色素突变株不仅遗传性状稳定,且辅酶Q10产量比亲本株有明显提高。对其中的黄色突变株发酵液进行辅酶Q10提取及测定,结果显示:其辅酶Q10产量比亲本株提高102.10%,经发酵条件初步优化,其最高产量可达26.39 mg/L发酵液。     

Mutagenic activities of hydroperoxythymine derivatives, products of radiation and oxidation reactions.

By using a bacterial test system, it has been shown that hydroperoxy derivatives of thymine and thymidine produced by ionizing radiation, near-UV radiation, and certain oxidation reactions are highly mutagenic. Considering that hydroperoxy derivatives of biomolecules have been implicated widely as likely candidates causing mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and aging, it would be advantageous to screen these compounds when they can be isolated in pure state in order to assess their potential hazards to human health. The findings from these assays would provide information to further our understanding of the mechanism of their mutagenic action.     

Mutagenic interactions between near-ultraviolet (365 nm) radiation and alkylating agents in Escherichia coli

The mutagenic interaction between near-ultraviolet (365 nm) radiation and the alkylating agents ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) and methyl methanesulphonate (MMS) was studied in a repair-competent and an excision-deficient strain of Escherichia coli. Near-UV radiation modified the metabolic response of exposure to these chemicals and either reduced or increased their mutagenic efficiency. Based on these results, an experimental model was formulated to explain the mutagenic interactions that occur between near-UV and various agents that induce prototrophic revertants via error-prone repair of DNA. According to this model, low doses of near-UV provoke conditions for mutation frequency decline (MFD) and lead to a mutagenic antagonism. With increasing near-UV doses, damage to constitutive error-free repair systems increases, favouring the error-prone system and inhibiting the MFD. Under these conditions there will be a progressive decrease in antagonism until at high doses an enhancement of mutation frequency (positive interaction) will occur.     

DNA excision-repair processes in human cells can eliminate the cytotoxic and mutagenic consequences of ultraviolet irradiation

The ability of DNA excision-repair processes in diploid human fibroblasts to eliminate potentially cytotoxic and mutagenic lesions induced by UV radiation (254 nm) was demonstrated in two ways: (1) Cells with normal rates of excision were compared with cells with an intermediate rate of excision (XP2BE) and cells with an excision rate less than or equal to 1% that of normal (XP12BE) for sensitivity to the killing and mutagenic action of UV radiation. The normal cells proved resistant to doses of UV which reduced the survival of the XP cells to 14% and 0.7%, respectively, and increased the frequency of mutations to 8-azaguanine resistance in the XP cells 5- to 10-fold over background. (2) Cells in confluence were irradiated with cytotoxic and mutagenic doses of UV and allowed to carry out excision repair. After various lengths of time they were replated at lower densities to allow for expression of mutations to 6-thioguanine resistance and/or at cloning densities to assay survival. Normal cells and XP cells with reduced rates of excision repair (from complementation groups C and D) exhibited a gradual increase in survival from an initial level of 15--20% to 100% if held approximately 20 h in confluence. In contrast, XP12BE cells showed no increase from an initial survival of 20% even when held for 7 days. Normal cells irradiated in confluence but prevented from replicating for 7 days exhibited background mutation frequencies, whereas the mutation frequency in XP12BE cells did not change with the time in confluence.     

The participation of thyroid hormones in modifying the mutagenic effect of microwaves

The mutagenic effect of microwaves (2,450 or 2,750 MHz, 500 microW/cm2, 30 days, 7 h a day) increases with both low and high thyroid hormone content in rats. This indicates that normal functioning of the thyroid gland is an important condition for the stabilization of chromosome integrity under the effect of nonionizing radiation of microwaves.     

The "pro-drug" RibCys decreases the mutagenicity of high-LET radiation in cultured mammalian cells

We are carrying out studies aimed at reducing the mutagenic effects of high-LET 56Fe ions and 12C ions (56Fe ions, 143 keV/microm; 12C ions, 100 keV/microm) with certain drugs, including RibCys [2-(R,S)-D-ribo-(1',2',3',4'-tetrahydroxybutyl)-thiazolidine-4(R)-carboxylic acid]. RibCys, formed by condensation of L-cysteine with D-ribose, is designed so that the sulfhydryl amino acid L-cysteine is released intracellularly through nonenzymatic ring opening and hydrolysis leading to increased levels of glutathione (GSH). RibCys (4 or 10 mM), which was present during irradiation and for a few hours after, significantly decreased the yield of CD59- mutants induced by radiation in AL human-hamster hybrid cells. RibCys did not affect the clonogenic survival of irradiated cells, nor was it mutagenic itself. These results, together with the minimal side effects reported in mice and pigs, indicate that RibCys may be useful, perhaps even when used prophylactically, in reducing the mutation load created by high-LET radiation in astronauts or other exposed individuals.