DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide in cultured tobacco cells is dependent on the cell growth stage

• Published in: Mutation research. Genetic toxicology and environmental mutagenesis 2002-02, Vol.514 (1), p.147-152
• Main Authors: Stavreva, Diana A, Gichner, Tomáš
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Comet assay; Ethyl methanesulphonate; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Mutagenesis. Repair; Nicotiana; Nicotiana tabacum; Single cell gel electrophoresis
• ISSN: 1383-5718; 1879-3592
• DOI: 10.1016/S1383-5718(01)00330-8

The level of hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2)-induced genomic DNA damage measured by the Comet assay in tobacco suspension cells (TX1) increased as a function of the age of the culture. After treatment of TX1 cells with 15 mM H 2O 2, the average (±S.E.) median tail moment value was only 4.85±1.00 μm in nuclei isolated from 2-day-old cells compared to 72.33±1.40 μm in nuclei isolated from 12-day-old cells. By contrast, nuclei first isolated from 2 and 12-day-old cells and then treated with H 2O 2, expressed the same level of DNA damage. The activity of catalases was markedly higher in 2-day-old TX1 cells compared to 12-day-old cells. The results indicate that the reaction of the H 2O 2 with nuclear DNA is modified by the presence of the plant cell wall, and enzymes and macromolecules present in the cytosol, and is not connected with changes in the nuclear DNA sensitivity during cell suspension growth.