Quantitation of Pyrimidine Dimen in DNA from UVB-irradiated Alfalfa (Medicago safiva L.) seedlings

Conference · Tue Mar 19 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5704266

Quaite, F. Elsie ^[1]; Sutherland, Betsy M. ^[1]; Sutherland, John C. ^[1]

---

1. Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Depletion of stratospheric ozone will increase the solar ultraviolet radiation in the range from 290-320 nm (UVB) that reaches the surface of the earth, placing an increased UV burden on exposed organisms. One consequence of increased UVB may be decreased productivity of crop plants. A principal lesion caused by UV in DNA is the cyclobutyl pyrimidine dimer. We have adapted a method for measuring these dimers in nanogram quantities of non-radioactive DNA for use in UV-irradiated plants. We find that biologically relevant doses of broad band UVB radiation induce easily detectable frequencies of pyrimidine dimers in the DNA of irradiated alfalfa sprout leaves and that the dose response for dimer formation is linear up to doses of at least 690 J/m². We also find easily measurable frequencies of dimers in the leaves of seedlings grown in glass filtered sunlight but not exposed to additional UVB, suggesting that significant number of dimers are formed in plants exposed to normal sunlight.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5704266
• Report Number(s): BNL--46031; CONF-910351--1; ON: DE91010978
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560140* -- Radiation Effects on Plants
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALFALFA
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
DNA
DNA
pyrimidine dimer
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GENETIC EFFECTS
GENETIC RADIATION EFFECTS
LEAVES
LEGUMINOSAE
MAGNOLIOPHYTA
MAGNOLIOPSIDA
MEASURING METHODS
MUTATION FREQUENCY
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
Ozone depletion
PLANTS
PRODUCTIVITY
PYRIMIDINE DIMERS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOINDUCTION
SEEDLINGS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
gel electrophoresis.
ultraviolet radiation