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Updated: Oct 4, 2026

Advanced Confocal Microscopy Techniques to Study Protein-protein Interactions and Kinetics at DNA Lesions
Published on: November 12, 2017
Direct radiation action of heavy ions on DNA as studied by ESR-spectroscopy
A Schaefer1, J Hüttermann, G Kraft
1Fachrichtung Biophysik und Phys. Grundlagen der Medizin, Universität des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
Abstract:
The effects of heavy ions on the mechanisms of free radical formation in DNA-constituents as compared to low-LET irradiation are investigated by means of Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Dose-yield curves were measured at low (T < 100 K) and ambient temperatures in order to obtain the G-value, that is number of radicals formed per 100 eV absorbed energy. These G-values show a characteristic LET-dependence and are one to two orders of magnitude lower than for low-LET irradiation. Measurements on 2'Deoxycytidine at 300 K using combined heavy ion and X-ray irradiation methods suggested that this effect can be partially explained by a destruction of radicals during the irradiation.
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