Effect of Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation on the Expression of Mitochondria-Related Genes in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2021-12, Vol.23 (1), p.261
• Main Authors: Kostyuk, Svetlana V, Proskurnina, Elena V, Konkova, Marina S, Abramova, Margarita S, Kalianov, Andrey A, Ershova, Elizaveta S, Izhevskaya, Vera L, Kutsev, Sergey I, Veiko, Natalia N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Autophagy; cell-free DNA; Cell-Free Nucleic Acids - metabolism; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA methylation; DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; Electron Transport; Exposure; Flow cytometry; Gene Dosage; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation - radiation effects; Genes; Genes, Mitochondrial; Hormesis; human mesenchymal stem cells; Humans; Ionizing radiation; low-dose ionizing radiation; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Mesenchymal stem cells; Mesenchymal Stem Cells - metabolism; Mesenchymal Stem Cells - radiation effects; Metabolism; Mitochondria; Mitochondria - genetics; Mitochondria - radiation effects; Mitochondrial DNA; Mitochondrial Dynamics; mitohormesis; Oxidation-Reduction - radiation effects; Oxidative stress; Proteins; Radiation; Radiation dosage; Radiation, Ionizing; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Stem cells; Transcription, Genetic; X-Rays
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010261

The concept of hormesis describes a phenomenon of adaptive response to low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR). Similarly, the concept of mitohormesis states that the adaptive program in mitochondria is activated in response to minor stress effects. The mechanisms of hormesis effects are not clear, but it is assumed that they can be mediated by reactive oxygen species. Here, we studied effects of LDIR on mitochondria in mesenchymal stem cells. We have found that X-ray radiation at a dose of 10 cGy as well as oxidized fragments of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) at a concentration of 50 ng/mL resulted in an increased expression of a large number of genes regulating the function of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes in human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Several genes remained upregulated within hours after the exposure. Both X-ray radiation and oxidized cfDNA resulted in upregulation of and genes, which regulated fusion and fission of mitochondria, within 3-24 h after the exposure. Three hours after the exposure, the number of copies of mitochondrial DNA in cells had increased. These findings support the hypothesis that assumes oxidized cell-free DNA as a mediator of MSC response to low doses of radiation.