Manifestations and mechanisms of radiation-induced genomic instability in V-79 Chinese hamster cells.
OBJECTIVE
The relationship between different forms of persistent radiation damage in irradiated cells was investigated in order to identify a common underlying mechanism.


METHODS
V-79 Chinese hamster cells were irradiated with different doses of X-rays, neutrons and alpha-particles. In the progeny of surviving cells, up to 4 weeks after irradiation, delayed reproductive death, delayed micronuclei, delayed appearance of dicentric chromosomes and delayed apoptosis were investigated in parallel.


RESULTS
A similar dose-response relationship was found for all endpoints, with a steep rise at low doses to a plateau at doses > 3 Gy. The target for inducing genomic instability by alpha-particles is larger than the nucleus. All chromosomes are equally involved in delayed breakage reunion events.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that non-lethal radiation damage to an extranuclear target leads to a persistent increase in clastogenic activity in the surviving irradiated cells.
Trott
K R
KR
Department of Radiation Biology, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK. k.r.trott@mds.qmw.ac.uk
Jamali
M
M
Manti
L
L
Teibe
A
A
D000512:Alpha Particles / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects; D016466:CHO Cells / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000528:radiation effects; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000235:genetics; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000528:radiation effects; D006224:Cricetinae; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005796:Genes / Q000528:radiation effects*; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective / Q000528:radiation effects; D009502:Neutrons / Q000009:adverse effects; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D013997:Time Factors; D014965:X-Rays / Q000009:adverse effects