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Mutations

Mutations

Mutations are changes in the sequence of DNA. These changes can occur spontaneously or they can be induced by exposure to environmental factors. Mutations can be characterized in a number of different ways: whether and how they alter the amino acid sequence of the protein, whether they occur over a small or large area of DNA, and whether they occur in somatic cells or germline cells.
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...

Mutations

Mutations

Nucleotide Excision Repair

Nucleotide Excision Repair

DNA Distortion and Damage
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...

Nucleotide Excision Repair

Nucleotide Excision Repair

Nucleotide Excision Repair

Nucleotide Excision Repair

Spontaneous and Induced Mutations

Spontaneous and Induced Mutations

Spontaneous mutations arise infrequently during DNA replication due to errors in the process. A key factor behind these errors is tautomeric shifts in nitrogenous bases, where bases transition from keto to enol forms or amino to imino forms. This shift can alter base-pairing rules, leading to mutations. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS) arising from aerobic metabolism can damage DNA, resulting in depurination (loss of a purine base) or depyrimidination (loss of a pyrimidine base).

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Advanced Confocal Microscopy Techniques to Study Protein-protein Interactions and Kinetics at DNA Lesions

Advanced Confocal Microscopy Techniques to Study Protein-protein Interactions and Kinetics at DNA Lesions

Published on: November 12, 2017

Is UV-induced DNA damage greater at higher elevation?

Qing-Wei Wang¹, Jun Hidema¹, Kouki Hikosaka²

¹Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.

American Journal of Botany

|April 22, 2014

Summary

Higher elevations mean more DNA damage in plants due to increased ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. This study confirms that UV-B exposure directly harms plant DNA, with greater damage observed at higher altitudes.

Keywords:

UV damage UV-B radiation climate change cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD)elevational effect

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Last Updated: May 1, 2026

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Area of Science:

Plant biology
Environmental science
Molecular biology

Background:

Ultraviolet radiation (UV) negatively impacts plant growth.
UV-B radiation increases with elevation, but direct evidence of its effect on high-altitude plants was lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate DNA damage in plants at different elevations.
To assess the impact of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on plant DNA.

Main Methods:

Leaves of Polygonum sachalinense and Plantago asiatica were sampled at 300 m and 1700 m.
DNA damage, measured as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) levels, was determined over 11 days.
Environmental factors including UV-B, temperature, and photosynthetically active radiation were analyzed.

Main Results:

CPD levels were significantly influenced by time of day, date, and elevation.
DNA damage was more severe at 1700 m compared to 300 m (8.7% greater in P. asiatica, 7.8% greater in P. sachalinense).
UV-B radiation was the primary factor explaining DNA damage, with no significant relationship to temperature or photosynthetically active radiation.

Conclusions:

UV-induced DNA damage in plants is greater at higher elevations.
Elevation-dependent UV-B exposure directly correlates with increased DNA damage in plant species.