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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Measuring DNA Damage and Repair in Mouse Splenocytes After Chronic In Vivo Exposure to Very Low Doses of Beta- and Gamma-Radiation
Published on: July 3, 2015
Application of spectral methods for studying DNA damage induced by gamma-radiation
Svetlana A Tankovskaia1, Omar M Kotb2, Olga A Dommes3
1Department of Molecular Biophysics and Polymer Physics, Faculty of Physics, Saint-Petersburg State University, Ulyanovskaya, 3, St. Petersburg 198504, Russia.
Abstract:
Spectral methods can provide a variety of possibilities to determine several types of radiation-induced DNA damage, such as nucleobase destruction and local denaturation. DNA UV absorption and CD spectra measured at room temperature undergo noticeable alteration under the action of γ-radiation. We have applied the Spirin method of total nucleobases determination, and have measured the molar extinction coefficient of DNA and DNA CD spectra for solutions with different NaCl concentrations (3mM-3.2M) and containing MgCl2, exposed to γ-radiation with the doses of 0-103Gy. The melting temperatures of DNA in irradiated solutions at the doses of 0-50Gy were obtained with the help of spectrophotometric melting. It was found that the amount of destructed nucleobases and radiation-induced loss of DNA helicity significantly decreases with the rise of the ionic strength of the irradiated solution. Substitution of a portion of Na+ ions on Mg2+ while keeping the total ionic strength constant (μ=5mM) does not affect the considered radiation effects. The role of the structure and composition of the DNA secondary hydration layer in the radiation-induced damages is discussed.
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