Hydrogen inhalation: in vivo rat genotoxicity tests.

Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that molecular hydrogen (H2) has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. Safety data are available in the literature and acute toxicity has been tested in isolated cells and laboratory animals. We have evaluates the genotoxicity of H2 in vivo in rats after 72 h exposure, following the International Council for Harmonization guidelines ICH S2 (R1). The study was conducted on three groups of male Wistar rats: a negative control group, a positive control group receiving methyl methanesulfonate, and a H2-treated group receiving a 3.1% H2 gas mixture for 72 h. Alkaline comet, formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg)-modified comet and bone marrow micronucleus assays were performed. H2 exposure increased neither comet-tail DNA intensity (DNA damage) nor frequency of "hedgehogs" in blood, liver, lungs, or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. No increase in Fpg-sensitive sites in lungs, no induction of micronucleus formation, and no imbalance of immature erythrocyte to total erythrocyte ratio (IME%) was observed in rats exposed to H2. The ICH S2 (R1) test-battery revealed no in vivo genotoxicity in Wistar rats after 72 h inhalation of a mixture containing 3.1% H2.

Repair-driven DNA tetrahedral nanomachine combined with DNAzyme for 8-oxo guanine DNA glycosylase activity assay, drug screening and intracellular imaging.

8-oxo guanine DNA glycosylase (8-oxoG DNA glycosylase), a crucial DNA repair enzyme, is essential for maintaining genome integrity and preventing diseases caused by DNA oxidative damage. Imaging 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase in living cells requires a dependable technique. In this study, we designed a DNAzyme-modified DNA tetrahedral nanomachine (DTDN) powered by 8-oxoG restoration. Incorporating a molecular beacon probe (MB), the constructed platform was used for amplified in situ monitoring of 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase. Under normal conditions, duplexing with a complementary strand modified with two 8-oxoG sites inhibited the activity of DNAzyme. The restoration of DNAzyme activity by the repair of intracellular 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase on 8-oxoG bases can initiate a signal amplification reaction. This detection system can detect 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase activity linearly between 0 and 20 U mL-1, with a detection limit as low as 0.52 U mL-1. Using this method, we were able to screen 14 natural compounds and identify 6 of them as 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase inhibitors. In addition, a novel approach was utilized to assess the activity of 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase in living cells. In conclusion, this method provides a universal tool for monitoring the activity of 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase in vitro and in living cells, which holds great promise for elucidating the enzyme's functionality and facilitating drug screening endeavors.

Age-related influence on DNA damage, proteomic inflammatory markers and oxidative stress in hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls.

COVID-19 infections are accompanied by adverse changes in inflammatory pathways that are also partly influenced by increased oxidative stress and might result in elevated DNA damage. The aim of this case-control study was to examine whether COVID-19 patients show differences in oxidative stress-related markers, unconjugated bilirubin (UCB), an inflammation panel and DNA damage compared to healthy, age-and sex-matched controls. The Comet assay with and without the treatment of formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (FPG) and H2O2 challenge was used to detect DNA damage in whole blood. qPCR was applied for gene expression, UCB was analyzed via HPLC, targeted proteomics were applied using Olink® inflammation panel and various oxidative stress as well as clinical biochemistry markers were analyzed in plasma. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients (n = 48) demonstrated higher serum levels of 55 inflammatory proteins (p < 0.001), including hs-C-reactive protein levels (p < 0.05), compared to healthy controls (n = 48). Interestingly, significantly increased age-related DNA damage (%-DNA in tail) after formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (FPG) treatment was measured in younger (n = 24, average age 55.7 years; p < 0.05) but not in older COVID-19 patients (n = 24, average age 83.5 years; p > 0.05). Although various oxidative stress markers were not altered (e.g., FRAP, malondialdehyde, p > 0.05), a significant increased ratio of oxidized to reduced glutathione was detected in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). UCB levels were significantly lower in individuals with COVID-19, especially in younger COVID-19 patients (p < 0.05). These results suggest that COVID-19 infections exert effects on DNA damage related to age in hospitalized COVID-19 patients that might be driven by changes in inflammatory pathways but are not altered by oxidative stress parameters.

Profiling of Barley, Wheat, and Rye FPG and OGG1 Genes during Grain Germination.

This research is about the profiling of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and rye (Secale cereale L.) FPG and OGG1 genes during grain germination. During seed germination, reactive oxygen species accumulate, which leads to DNA damage. In the base excision repair (BER) system, the enzymes formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (FPG) and 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1), among others, are responsible for repairing such damage. We decided to check how the expression of genes encoding these two enzymes changes in germinating grains. Spring varieties of barley, wheat, and rye from the previous growing season were used in the study. Expression level changes were checked using Real-Time PCR. After analyzing the obtained results, the maximum expression levels of FPG and OGG1 genes during germination were determined for barley, wheat, and rye. The results of the study show differences in expression levels specific to each species. The highest expression was observed at different time points for each of them. There were no differences in the highest expression for FPG and OGG1 within one species. In conclusion, the research provides information on how the level of FPG and OGG1 gene expression changes during the germination process in cereals. This is the first study looking at the expression levels of these two genes in cereals.

Assay conditions for estimating differences in base excision repair activity with Fpg-modified comet assay.

DNA repair is an essential agent in cancer development, progression, prognosis, and response to therapy. We have adapted a cellular repair assay based on the formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg)-modified comet assay to assess DNA repair kinetics. The removal of oxidized nucleobases over time (0-480 min) was analyzed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and 8 cell lines. DNA damage was induced by exposure to either Ro19-8022 plus visible light or potassium bromate (KBrO3). The initial amount of damage induced by Ro 19-8022 plus light varied between cell lines, and this was apparently associated with the rate of repair. However, the amount of DNA damage induced by KBrO3 varied less between cell types, so we used this agent to study the kinetics of DNA repair. We found an early phase of ca. 60 min with fast removal of Fpg-sensitive sites, followed by slower removal over the following 7 h. In conclusion, adjusting the initial damage at T0 to an equal level can be achieved by the use of KBrO3, which allows for accurate analysis of subsequent cellular DNA repair kinetics in the first hour after exposure.

Aluminium(III) Oxide-The Silent Killer of Bacteria.

In this article, we describe the antimicrobial properties of pristine anodised aluminium oxide matrices-the material many consider biologically inert. During a typical anodisation process, chromium and chlorine compounds are used for electropolishing and the removal of the first-step aluminium oxide. Matrices without the use of those harmful compounds were also fabricated and tested for comparison. The antibacterial tests were conducted on four strains of Escherichia coli: K12, R2, R3 and R4. The properties of the matrices were also compared to the three types of antibiotics: ciprofloxacin, bleomycin and cloxacillin using the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) tests. Moreover, DNA was isolated from the analysed bacteria which was additionally digested with formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) protein from the group of repair glycosases. These enzymes are markers of modified oxidised bases in nucleic acids produced during oxidative stress in cells. Preliminary cellular studies, MIC and MBC tests and digestion with Fpg protein after modification of bacterial DNA suggest that these compounds may have greater potential as antibacterial agents than the aforementioned antibiotics. The described composites are highly specific for the analysed model Escherichia coli strains and may be used in the future as new substitutes for commonly used antibiotics in clinical and nosocomial infections in the progressing pandemic era. The results show much stronger antibacterial properties of the functionalised membranes on the action of bacterial membranes in comparison to the antibiotics in the Fpg digestion experiment. This is most likely due to the strong induction of oxidative stress in the cell through the breakdown of the analysed bacterial DNA.

Distinct Mechanisms of Target Search by Endonuclease VIII-like DNA Glycosylases.

Proteins that recognize specific DNA sequences or structural elements often find their cognate DNA lesions in a processive mode, in which an enzyme binds DNA non-specifically and then slides along the DNA contour by one-dimensional diffusion. Opposite to the processive mechanism is distributive search, when an enzyme binds, samples and releases DNA without significant lateral movement. Many DNA glycosylases, the repair enzymes that excise damaged bases from DNA, use processive search to find their cognate lesions. Here, using a method based on correlated cleavage of multiply damaged oligonucleotide substrates we investigate the mechanism of lesion search by three structurally related DNA glycosylases-bacterial endonuclease VIII (Nei) and its mammalian homologs NEIL1 and NEIL2. Similarly to another homologous enzyme, bacterial formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase, NEIL1 seems to use a processive mode to locate its targets. However, the processivity of Nei was notably lower, and NEIL2 exhibited almost fully distributive action on all types of substrates. Although one-dimensional diffusion is often regarded as a universal search mechanism, our results indicate that even proteins sharing a common fold may be quite different in the ways they locate their targets in DNA.

Structure of the major oxidative damage 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine presented into a catalytically competent DNA glycosylase.

If left unrepaired, the major oxidative DNA lesion 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (oxoG) promotes G-to-T transversions by favorably adopting a syn conformation and base pairing with dATP during replication. The human oxoG DNA glycosylase hOGG1 senses and removes oxoG amid millions-fold excess of guanine, thereby counteracting the genotoxic effects of the major oxidative damage. Crystal structures of hOGG1 in complex with oxoG-containing DNA have provided key insights into the lesion recognition and catalysis mechanisms of the enzyme. These lesion-recognition complex (LRC) structures typically involve a catalytically inactive hOGG1 mutant, where one of the catalytic-site amino acid residues is mutated to prevent the cleavage of oxoG. The use of a catalytically incompetent hOGG1 mutant has thus precluded understanding of unscathed interactions between oxoG and hOGG1 catalytic site as well as interactions among catalytic-site amino acid residues. As an orthogonal approach to visualize such interactions, we have co-crystallized a catalytically competent hOGG1 bound to 2'-fluoro-oxodG-containing DNA, a transition state destabilizing inhibitor that binds hOGG1 but is not processed by the enzyme. In this fluorinated lesion-recognition complex (FLRC), the 8-oxo moiety of oxoG is recognized by Gly42 and the Watson-Crick edge of oxoG is contacted by Gln315 and Pro266. The previously observed salt bridge between Lys249 and Cys253 is lacking in the FLRC, suggesting Lys249 is primed by Cys253 and poised for nucleophilic attack on C1' of oxodG. Overall, hOGG1 FLRC marks the first structure of oxoG presented into an intact catalytic site of hOGG1 and provides complementary insights into the glycosylase mechanisms of the enzyme.

Structural and functional determinants of the archaeal 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase AGOG for DNA damage recognition and processing.

8-Oxoguanine (GO) is a major purine oxidation product in DNA. Because of its highly mutagenic properties, GO absolutely must be eliminated from DNA. To do this, aerobic and anaerobic organisms from the three kingdoms of life have evolved repair mechanisms to prevent its deleterious effect on genetic integrity. The major way to remove GO is the base excision repair pathway, usually initiated by a GO-DNA glycosylase. First identified in bacteria (Fpg) and eukaryotes (OGG1), GO-DNA glycosylases were more recently identified in archaea (OGG2 and AGOG). AGOG is the less documented enzyme and its mode of damage recognition and removing remains to be clarified at the molecular and atomic levels. This study presents a complete structural characterisation of apo AGOGs from Pyrococcus abyssi (Pab) and Thermococcus gammatolerans (Tga) and the first structure of Pab-AGOG bound to lesion-containing single- or double-stranded DNA. By combining X-ray structure analysis, site directed mutagenesis and biochemistry experiments, we identified key amino acid residues of AGOGs responsible for the specific recognition of the lesion and the base opposite the lesion and for catalysis. Moreover, a unique binding mode of GO, involving double base flipping, never observed for any other DNA glycosylases, is revealed. In addition to unravelling the properties of AGOGs, our study, through comparative biochemical and structural analysis, offers new insights into the evolutionary plasticity of DNA glycosylases across all three kingdoms of life.

Functionalised Anodised Aluminium Oxide as a Biocidal Agent.

In this article, we describe the antimicrobial properties of a new composite based on anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) membranes containing propyl-copper-phosphonate units arranged at a predetermined density inside the AAO channels. The samples were prepared with four concentrations of copper ions and tested as antimicrobial drug on four different strains of Escherichia coli (K12, R2, R3 and R4). For comparison, the same strains were tested with three types of antibiotics using the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) tests. Moreover, DNA was isolated from the analysed bacteria which was additionally digested with formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) protein from the group of repair glycosases. These enzymes are markers of modified oxidised bases in nucleic acids produced during oxidative stress in cells. Preliminary cellular studies, MIC and MBC tests and digestion with Fpg protein after modification of bacterial DNA suggest that these compounds may have greater potential as antibacterial agents than antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, bleomycin and cloxacillin. The described composites are highly specific for the analysed model Escherichia coli strains and may be used in the future as new substitutes for commonly used antibiotics in clinical and nosocomial infections in the progressing pandemic era. The results show much stronger antibacterial properties of the functionalised membranes on the action of bacterial membranes in comparison to the antibiotics in the Fpg digestion experiment. This is most likely due to the strong induction of oxidative stress in the cell through the breakdown of the analysed bacterial DNA. We have also observed that the intermolecular distances between the functional units play an important role for the antimicrobial properties of the used material. Hence, we utilised the idea of the 2D solvent to tailor them.

A pooled analysis of molecular epidemiological studies on modulation of DNA repair by host factors.

Levels of DNA damage represent the dynamics between damage formation and removal. Therefore, to better interpret human biomonitoring studies with DNA damage endpoints, an individual's ability to recognize and properly remove DNA damage should be characterized. Relatively few studies have included DNA repair as a biomarker and therefore, assembling and analyzing a pooled database of studies with data on base excision repair (BER) was one of the goals of hCOMET (EU-COST CA15132). A group of approximately 1911 individuals, was gathered from 8 laboratories which run population studies with the comet-based in vitro DNA repair assay. BER incision activity data were normalized and subsequently correlated with various host factors. BER was found to be significantly higher in women. Although it is generally accepted that age is inversely related to DNA repair, no overall effect of age was found, but sex differences were most pronounced in the oldest quartile (>61 years). No effect of smoking or occupational exposures was found. A body mass index (BMI) above 25 kg/m2 was related to higher levels of BER. However, when BMI exceeded 35 kg/m2, repair incision activity was significantly lower. Finally, higher BER incision activity was related to lower levels of DNA damage detected by the comet assay in combination with formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg), which is in line with the fact that oxidatively damaged DNA is repaired by BER. These data indicate that BER plays a role in modulating the steady-state level of DNA damage that is detected in molecular epidemiological studies and should therefore be considered as a parallel endpoint in future studies.

The influence of cdG on 8-oxodG excision by OGG1 and FPG glycosylases.

Human genome is exposed to the variety of damaging factors, such as ionizing radiation. 5',8-cyclo-2'-deoxypurines (cdPus) are well described unfavorable outcomes of DNA damage, especially devastating as a part of clustered DNA lesions (CDL). Since cdPus are not repaired by base excision repair (BER) and poorly repaired by nucleotide excision repair (NER), it is important to unveil the mechanisms of cdPus action within the genome. In this study the influence of both 5'S and 5'R diastereomers of 5',8-cyclo-2'-deoxyguanosine (cdG) on the activity of OGG1 and FPG was examined. Synthetic oligonucleotides containing cdG and two molecules of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) were designed as model of single-stranded CDL. The activity of both enzymes increased in the presence of cdG, compared to the control DNA strands, and the increase was greater in the case of 5'R diastereomer. These results are supported by previous studies concerning cdPus and confirm the impact of lesions proximity on the DNA repair efficiency. Due to the biological importance of cdPus, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of lesions recognition by repair proteins in further studies.

Oxidative damage and DNA repair in desiccated recalcitrant embryonic axes of Acer pseudoplatanus L.

BACKGROUND: Most plants encounter water stress at one or more different stages of their life cycle. The maintenance of genetic stability is the integral component of desiccation tolerance that defines the storage ability and long-term survival of seeds. Embryonic axes of desiccation-sensitive recalcitrant seeds of Acer pseudoplatnus L. were used to investigate the genotoxic effect of desiccation. Alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) methodology was optimized and used to provide unique insights into the onset and repair of DNA strand breaks and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG) formation during progressive steps of desiccation and rehydration. RESULTS: The loss of DNA integrity and impairment of damage repair were significant predictors of the viability of embryonic axes. In contrast to the comet assay, automated electrophoresis failed to detect changes in DNA integrity resulting from desiccation. Notably, no significant correlation was observed between hydroxyl radical (Ù OH) production and 8-oxoG formation, although the former is regarded to play a major role in guanine oxidation. CONCLUSIONS: The high-throughput comet assay represents a sensitive tool for monitoring discrete changes in DNA integrity and assessing the viability status in plant germplasm processed for long-term storage.

Measurement of oxidatively damaged DNA in mammalian cells using the comet assay: Reflections on validity, reliability and variability.

The comet assay is a simple technique for measurements of low levels of DNA damage and repair in single cells. However, there is variation in background levels of DNA damage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). This variation has been documented by inter-laboratory ring-trials where identical samples have been analysed in different laboratories using the formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg)-modified comet assay. The coefficient of variation of background levels of Fpg-sensitive sites was 128 % in the first inter-laboratory validation trial called European Standards Committee on Oxidative DNA Damage. The variation was reduced to 44 % by the end of the project. Subsequent ring-trials by the European Comet Assay Validation Group showed similar inter-laboratory variation in Fpg-sensitive sites in PBMCs (45 %). The lowest inter-laboratory variation in Fpg-sensitive sites in PBMCs was 12 % when using calibration to standardize comet assay descriptors. Introduction of standard comet assay procedures was surprisingly unsuccessful as certain laboratories experienced technical problems using unaccustomed assay conditions. This problem was alleviated by using flexible assay standard conditions rather than a standard protocol in a ring-trial by the hCOMET group. The approach reduced technical problems, but the inter-laboratory variation in Fpg-sensitive sites was not reduced. The ring-trials have not pinpointed specific assay steps as major determinants of the variation in DNA damage levels. It is likely that small differences in several steps cause inter-laboratory variation. Although this variation in reported DNA damage levels causes concern, ring-trials have also shown that the comet assay is a reliable tool in biomonitoring studies.

The Arabidopsis ATR-SOG1 signaling module regulates pleiotropic developmental adjustments in response to 3'-blocked DNA repair intermediates.

Base excision repair and active DNA demethylation produce repair intermediates with DNA molecules blocked at the 3'-OH end by an aldehyde or phosphate group. However, both the physiological consequences of these accumulated single-strand DNAs break with 3'-blocked ends (DNA 3'-blocks) and the signaling pathways responding to unrepaired DNA 3'-blocks remain unclear in plants. Here, we investigated the effects of DNA 3'-blocks on plant development using the zinc finger DNA 3'-phosphoesterase (zdp) AP endonuclease2 (ape2) double mutant, in which 3'-blocking residues are poorly repaired. The accumulation of DNA 3'-blocked triggered diverse developmental defects that were dependent on the ATM and RAD3-related (ATR)-suppressor of gamma response 1 (SOG1) signaling module. SOG1 mutation rescued the developmental defects of zdp ape2 leaves by preventing cell endoreplication and promoting cell proliferation. However, SOG1 mutation caused intensive meristematic cell death in the radicle of zdp ape2 following germination, resulting in rapid termination of radicle growth. Notably, mutating FORMAMIDOPYRIMIDINE DNA GLYCOSYLASE (FPG) in zdp ape2 sog1 partially recovered its radicle growth, demonstrating that DNA 3'-blocks generated by FPG caused the meristematic defects. Surprisingly, despite lacking a functional radicle, zdp ape2 sog1 mutants compensated the lack of root growth by generating anchor roots having low levels of DNA damage response. Our results reveal dual roles of SOG1 in regulating root establishment when seeds germinate with excess DNA 3'-blocks.

Construction of a damage site-specific fluorescent biosensor for single-molecule detection of DNA damage.

The 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) represents the most common DNA damage type, and it has been regarded as the oxidative stress biomarker, but the reported 8-oxoguanine assays are limited by poor specificity and low sensitivity. Herein, we demonstrate the construction of damage site-specific fluorescent biosensor for 8-oxoG assay by integrating single-molecule detection with hyperbranched signal amplification. In this assay, the 8-oxoG damages in DNA can generate free 3' OH with the assistance of formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg) and polynucleotide kinase (PNK), which subsequently triggers the incorporation of abundant Cy5-labeled dUTPs via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TDT)-mediated site-specific hyperbranched nucleic acid amplification. After digestion of amplification products with nuclease treatment, abundant mononucleotide Cy5-dUTPs are produced, which will be easily monitored via single-molecule imaging and detection. The introduction of hyperbranched nucleic acid amplification and single-molecule detection can greatly improve the sensitivity to achieve a detection limit of 7.62 × 10-18 M. This biosensor is highly specific with the capability of discriminating 0.001% 8-oxoG target from the DNA mixture. Moreover, it can be applied for quantitative detection of 8-oxoG damage in genomic DNAs with a detection limit of 0.0017 ng, and even accurately quantifies the absolute number (7025 - 8506) of 8-oxoG damage base in single HeLa cell treated with 150 µM H2O2. Importantly, this biosensor can measure the 8-oxoG damage level in different cancer cell lines, facilitating the oxidative damage-associated biomedical researches and clinical diagnosis.

DNA glycosylases for 8-oxoguanine repair in Staphylococcus aureus.

GO system is part of base excision DNA repair and is required for the correct repair of 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), one of the most abundant oxidative lesions. Due to the ability of 8-oxoG to mispair with A, this base is highly mutagenic, and its repair requires two enzymes: Fpg that removes 8-oxoG from 8-oxoG:C pairs, and MutY that excises the normal A from 8-oxoG:A mispairs. Here we characterize the properties of putative GO system DNA glycosylases from Staphylococcus aureus, an important human opportunistic pathogen that causes hospital infections and presents a serious health concern due to quick spread of antibiotic-resistant strains. In addition to Fpg and MutY from the reference NCTC 8325 strain (SauFpg1 and SauMutY), we have also studied an Fpg homolog from a multidrug-resistant C0673 isolate (SauFpg2), which is different from SauFpg1 in its sequence. Both SauFpg enzymes showed the highest activity at pH 7.0-9.0 and NaCl concentrations 25-75 mM (SauFpg1) or 50-100 mM (SauFpg2), whereas SauMutY was active at a broad pH range and had a salt optimum at ∼75 mM NaCl. Both SauFpg1 and SauFpg2 bound and cleaved duplexes containing 8-oxoG, 5-hydroxyuracil, 5,6-dihydrouracil or apurinic/apyrimidinic site paired with C, T, or G, but not with A. For SauFpg1 and SauFpg2, 8-oxoG was the best substrate tested, and 5,6-dihydrouracil was the worst one. SauMutY efficiently excised adenine from duplex substrates containing A:8-oxoG or A:G pairs. SauFpg enzymes were readily trapped on DNA by NaBH4 treatment, indicating formation of a Schiff base reaction intermediate. Surprisingly, SauMutY was also trapped significantly better than its E. coli homolog. All three S. aureus GO glycosylases drastically reduced spontaneous mutagenesis when expressed in an fpg mutY E. coli double mutant. Overall, we conclude that S. aureus possesses an active GO system, which could possibly be targeted for sensitization of this pathogen to oxidative stress.

Impact of 12-month cryopreservation on endogenous DNA damage in whole blood and isolated mononuclear cells evaluated by the comet assay.

The comet assay is an electrophoretic technique used to assess DNA damage, as a marker of genotoxicity and oxidative stress, in tissues and biological samples including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and whole blood (WB). Although numerous studies are performed on stored samples, the impact of cryopreservation on artifactual formation of DNA damage is not widely considered. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of storage at different time-points on the levels of strand breaks (SBs) and formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg)-sensitive sites in isolated PBMCs and WB. Samples were collected, aliquoted and stored at - 80 °C. DNA damage was analyzed on fresh samples, and subsequently on frozen samples every 2 months up to a year. Results have shown no changes in DNA damage in samples of PBMCs and WB stored for up to 4 months, while a significant increase in SBs and Fpg-sensitive sites was documented starting from 6-month up to 12-month storage of both the samples. In addition, fresh and frozen WB showed higher basal levels of DNA damage compared to PBMCs. In conclusion, WB samples show high levels of DNA damage compared to PBMCs. One-year of storage increased the levels of SBs and Fpg-sensitive sites especially in the WB samples. Based on these findings, the use of short storage times and PBMCs should be preferred because of low background level of DNA damage in the comet assay.

DNAzyme and rGO based fluorescence assay for Fpg activity analysis, drug screening, and bacterial imaging.

Due to the significant role of formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg) in physiological processes and DNA oxidative damage-related diseases, it is essential to establish sensitive methods for monitoring the Fpg activity in vitro and in vivo so as to illustrate its concrete role in these events. In this work, a sensitive, simple and reliable fluorescence assay was developed by taking the advantages of DNAzyme assisted cascade signal amplification and ultra-high fluorescence quenching efficiency of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). This detection system consisted of DNAzyme, rGO and fluorescence probe allows the activity of Fpg to be detected in a linear range from 0 to 80 U/mL with a detection limit of 0.66 U/mL. With the help of this method, 11 natural compounds were screened, and 7 compounds were identified as activators of Fpg. More importantly, the developed assay was used to monitor the activity of Fpg through fluorescence imaging in living Escherichia coli for the first time. The imaging results visually demonstrated the dynamic activation effect of natural compound Ginsenoside Re on the Fpg of Escherichia coli. In summary, these results indicated that this DNAzyme and rGO based fluorescence assay provides a potent strategy for Fpg quantitative assay in vitro and real-time monitoring in living bacteria, which holds great potential for applying on biological study and Fpg-targeted drug screening.

The genotoxic effects in the leukocytes of workers handling nanocomposite materials.

The extensive development of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials poses a number of questions to toxicologists about the potential health risks of exposure to nanoparticles (NP). In this study, we analysed DNA damage in the leukocytes of 20 workers who were long-term exposed (18 ± 10 years) to NP in their working environment. Blood samples were collected in September 2016, before and after a shift, to assess (i) the chronic effects of NP on DNA (pre-shift samples) and (ii) the acute effects of exposure during the shift (the difference between pre- and post-shift samples). The samples from matched controls were taken in parallel with workers before the shift. Leukocytes were isolated from heparinised blood on a Ficoll gradient. The enzyme-modified comet assay (DNA formamido-pyrimidine-glycosylase and endonuclease III) demonstrated a considerable increase of both single- and double-strand breaks in DNA (DNA-SB) and oxidised bases when compared with the controls (2.4× and 2×, respectively). Acute exposure induced a further increase of DNA-SB. The welding and smelting of nanocomposites represented a higher genotoxic risk than milling and grinding of nanocomposite surfaces. Obesity appeared to be a factor contributing to an increased risk of oxidative damage to DNA. The data also indicated a higher susceptibility of males vs. females to NP exposure. The study was repeated in September 2017. The results exhibited similar trend, but the levels of DNA damage in the exposed subjects were lower compared to previous year. This was probably associated with lower exposure to NP in consequence of changes in nanomaterial composition and working operations. The further study involving also monitoring of personal exposures to NP is necessary to identify (i) the main aerosol components responsible for genotoxic effects in workers handling nanocomposites and (ii) the primary cause of gender differences in response to NP action.