Neutron and gamma-radiation sensitivity of plasmid DNA of varying superhelical density
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Inst., Bethesda, MD (United States)
Several families of negatively supercoiled topoisomers of plasmid pIBI30 were prepared by a modification of the procedure of Singleton and Wells. The average superhelical density ({sigma}) was determined by two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis and varied from -0.010 to -0.067, corresponding to a change in the number of supercoils from 3 to 19 and an effective volume change from 1.6 x 10{sup 8} to 4 x 10{sup 8} {angstrom}{sup 3}. Samples were exposed to either fission-neutron or {sup 60}Co {gamma} radiation and assayed for single-strand breaks by agarose gel electrophoresis. Form I DNA for all topoisomers decreased exponentially with increasing dose. The D{sub 37} values for both neutron and {gamma} radiation increased monotonically with increasing {vert_bar}{sigma}{vert_bar}. Using a branched plectonemic (interwound) form for DNA over the range of {sigma} studied and standard (single-hit) target theory, a quantitative linear fit to (D{sub 37}{sup -1}) as a function of the effective DNA radius, S({angstrom}), was obtained. The model predicts that both the slope (a) and the intercept (b) of (D{sub 37}){sup -1} as a function of S({angstrom}) are directly proportional to the length of DNA and the radiation fluence. Furthermore, the ratio b/a (= r{sub o}) at {sigma} = 0 depends only on the ionic strength of the medium and is independent of the radiation source parameters. Our results support the model and we calculate r{sub o} = 13.4 {+-} 1.4 nm, a value consistent with other investigations. Our results are consistent with studies using {sup 137}Cs but disagree with data obtained for X rays. 31 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 186113
- Journal Information:
- Radiation Research, Vol. 144, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: Dec 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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