Electromagnetic fields may act directly on DNA.
A wide variety of environmental stimuli induce the expression of stress response genes, including high temperatures, hypoxia, heavy metal ions, and amino acid analogs. Stress genes are also induced by low frequency magnetic fields. The cellular response to magnetic fields is activated by unusually weak stimuli, and involves pathways only partially associated with heat shock stress. Since magnetic fields interact with moving charges, as we have shown in enzymes, it is possible that magnetic fields stimulate the stress response by interacting directly with moving electrons in DNA. In this paper, we review several lines of evidence that support this hypothesis.
Blank
M
M
Department of Physiology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA. mb32@columbia.edu
Goodman
R
R
D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015870:Gene Expression; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D004247:DNA