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Updated: Oct 9, 2026

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage
Published on: August 21, 2021
[Mechanism of DNA repair induction by action of ionizing radiation on cells]
1Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino.
Abstract:
A mechanism is presumed regarding the induction of DNA damage repair at crossing from low to high ionisation doses. Radiation even in low doses disturbs the permeability of membranes and increases the intracellular pH. Alkalation of cells induces changes in chromatin conformation and DNA packing in them. This leads to transcription of different earlier "silent" genes, among them the genes of DNA repair enzymes. This mechanism of induction of DNA damage repair may be common for other physical and chemical agents due to evolutionary-developed unspecific cell reaction vocated for maintenance of intact genome conformation.
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