Seasonal fluctuation of DNA photodamage in marine plankton assemblages at Palmer Station, Antarctica.
Ultraviolet radiation-induced DNA damage frequencies were measured in DNA dosimeters and natural plankton communities during the austral spring at Palmer Station, Antarctica, during the 1999-2000 field season. We found that the fluence of solar ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) at the earth's surface correlated with stratospheric ozone concentrations, with significant ozone depletion observed because of "ozone hole" conditions. To verify the interdependence of ozone depletion and DNA damage in natural microbial communities, seawater was collected daily or weekly from Arthur Harbor at Palmer Station, Antarctica, throughout "ozone season," exposed to ambient sunlight between 0600 and 1800 h and fractionated using membrane filtration to separate phytoplankton and bacterioplankton populations. DNA from these fractions was isolated and DNA damage measured using radioimmunoassay. Under low-ozone conditions cyclobutane dimer concentrations in bacterioplankton and phytoplankton communities were maximal. DNA damage measured in dosimeters correlated closely with ozone concentrations and UV-B fluence. Our studies offer further support to the theory that stratospheric deozonation is detrimental to marine planktonic organisms in the Southern Ocean.
Meador
Jarah
J
Department of Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville 78957, USA.
Jeffrey
Wade H
WH
Kase
Jason P
JP
Pakulski
J Dean
JD
Chiarello
Stephanie
S
Mitchell
David L
DL
D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004249:DNA Damage; D008386:Marine Biology; D010933:Plankton / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012621:Seasons; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D004247:DNA