title: Effect of age on endogenous DNA single-strand breakage, strand break induction and repair in the adult housefly, Musca domestica.
abstract: It has been suggested that genomic alterations involving DNA damage and the ability to repair such damage play an important role in cellular senescence. In this study, endogenous DNA single-strand breaks, the susceptibility of DNA to induced strand breakage and the capacity to repair these breaks were compared in postmitotic cells from young (3-day-old) and old (23-day-old) houseflies. DNA single-strand breaks did not accumulate during normal aging in the housefly. However, cells of the old flies exhibited a greater sensitivity to single-strand breakage induced by gamma-radiation and UV light. The capacity to repair these exogenously induced single-strand breaks declined with age. Results do not support the view that DNA single-strand breaks are a causal factor in aging in the housefly. An age-related increase in the susceptibility to undergo single-strand breakage suggests alterations in chromatin during the aging process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ducore
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Sohal
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000528:radiation effects; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006793:Houseflies / Q000235:genetics*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D004247:DNA