Radiation damage to φX174 DNA and biological effects

Summary Dilute aqueous solutions of biologically active DNA can serve as a simplified model system of the cell. As a biological endpoint the survival of the DNA (after transfection to E. coli spheroplasts) is used. Damage in the DNA, irradiated in water with gamma rays, can be ascribed to reactions with primary waterradicals. By introducing additives in such solutions, which will scavenge the primary waterradicals, competition between a scavenger and DNA for such radicals can be studied. Comparison of different additives makes it possible to decide whether a compound behaves like a simple scavenger, radiosensitizer or like a radioprotector. In this context work has been done with the electron-affinic radiosensitizers metronidazole, misonidazole and nifuroxime. We have found that these wellknown cellular sensitizers do not enhance the inactivation of biologically active DNA. They act as simple competitive scavenger for waterradicals. However, if besides a sensitizer a trace of a metalloporphyrin containing compound (e.g. cyt. c) is present during irradiation an enhanced DNA inactivation, which can be interpreted as sensitization, is observed. Without sensitizer metalloporphyrins induce an enhanced protection of DNA.Apart from these effects the consequences of both chemical-(sulphy-dryl) and enzymatic-(excision; recombination) repair has been studied. It has been found that sulphydryl compounds are able to react with DNA radicals, modifying the radiation damage in such a way that e.g. breaks are prevented. Further in double-stranded DNA a considerable amount of OH and also H radical damage appeared to be reparable by the excision-repair mechanism. However, post-replication repair had only very small or no effect on the amount of damage.