Related Experiment Videos
Detecting carcinogens with the yeast DEL assay
Richard J Brennan1, Robert H Schiestl
1Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|February 11, 2004
Summary
The yeast DEL assay detects DNA deletions by measuring gene reversion. This sensitive method effectively identifies carcinogens missed by other genotoxicity tests.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Toxicology
Background:
- The yeast DEL assay measures homologous intrachromosomal recombination frequency.
- Reversion to histidine prototrophy results in deletion (DEL) of a disrupted his3 gene sequence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a detailed description of the yeast DEL assay.
- To enable widespread adoption of this genotoxicity testing method.
Main Methods:
- Utilizes a yeast model system with a disrupted his3 gene.
- Measures reversion to histidine prototrophy, indicating deletion (DEL).
Main Results:
- The DEL assay demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity for carcinogens.
- It effectively detects genotoxic effects missed by bacterial mutagenicity assays.
Conclusions:
- The yeast DEL assay is a valuable tool for genotoxicity and carcinogenicity prediction.
- The assay is user-friendly, requiring basic microbiology skills and minimal training.