The stepwise process of chromium-induced DNA breakage: characterization by electrochemistry, atomic force microscopy, and DNA electrophoresis.
DNA conformational change and breakage induced by Cr(VI)-GSH interaction were characterized by the integrated tools of electrochemistry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and DNA electrophoresis. While electrochemistry confirmed the formation of the active species generated from Cr(VI)-GSH reduction, which causes the DNA conformational changes, AFM imaging vividly demonstrated the stepwise process of the DNA denaturation and breakage for the first time. Our DNA electrophoresis further validated that the DNA breakage occurs unevenly at both of the single strands of the molecule. A scheme was drawn based on the experimental observations to explain the phenomenon of the Cr-induced DNA cleavage.
Department of Chemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China.
Pei-Hui
PH
Yang
Hong-Yang
HY
Gao
Jiye
J
Cai
Jen-Fu
JF
Chiu
Hongzhe
H
Sun
Qing-Yu
QY
He
D000818:Animals; D002857:Chromium / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004586:Electrophoresis; D005978:Glutathione / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009153:Mutagens / Q000737:chemistry*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
D009153:Mutagens; D002857:Chromium; C074702:chromium hexavalent ion; D004247:DNA; D005978:Glutathione