Interaction of sub-lethal concentrations of mercury(II) with DNA in eukaryotic cells

Conference · Mon Mar 11 04:00:00 EST 1991 · FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States)

OSTI ID:5905001

Williams, M; Holliday, J ^[1]

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1. Ohio State Univ., Columbus (United States)

Mercury compounds are used in a variety of industrial and manufacturing processes and it is the major component in certain types of dental amalgams. Thus a large percentage of the populations is a risk to acute and/or chronic exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of mercury. While questions have been raised concerning the possible health risks associated with such exposure, there is virtually nothing known particularly at the molecular level concerning the biological effects of such exposure. The authors studies have demonstrated that while the majority of mercury(II) that is incorporated into cells (human and Chinese hamster ovary) following exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of mercury(II) is bound to cytoplasmic proteins, there is also binding of mercury to the DNA and this occurs in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore they have demonstrated, using the Chinese hamster ovary cell line AS52 which contains a stably integrated single functional copy of the Escherichia coli xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl-transferase gene (gpt), that relatively non-lethal concentrations of mercury(II) induced a higher frequency of mutation in the gpt gene when compared to the spontaneous mutation frequency observed in non-treated cells.

• OSTI ID: 5905001
• Report Number(s): CONF-9104107--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States) Journal Volume: 5:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHO CELLS
DNA
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
ELEMENTS
ENZYMES
ESCHERICHIA COLI
GENES
GENETIC EFFECTS
MAMMALS
MAN
MERCURY
METABOLISM
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
MUTATION FREQUENCY
MUTATIONS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PRIMATES
PROTEINS
TOXICITY
TRANSFERASES
VERTEBRATES