title: Effects of a 50 Hz magnetic field on Dictyostelium discoideum (Protista).
abstract: Some studies have demonstrated that a few biological systems are affected by weak, extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs), lower than 10 mT. However, to date there is scanty evidence of this effect on Protists in the literature. Due to their peculiarity as single-cell eukaryotic organisms, Protists respond directly to environmental stimuli, thus appearing as very suitable experimental systems. Recently, we showed the presence of propionylcholinesterase (PrChE) activity in single-cell amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum. This enzyme activity was assumed to be involved in cell-cell and cell-environment interactions, as its inhibition affects cell aggregation and differentiation. In this work, we have exposed single-cell amoebae of D. discoideum to an ELF-EMF of about 200 microT, 50 Hz, for 3 h or 24 h at 21 degrees C. A delay in the early phase of the differentiation was observed in 3 h exposed cells, and a significant decrease in the fission rate appeared in 24 h exposed cells. The PrChE activity was significantly lower in 3 h exposed cells than in the controls, whereas 24 h exposed cells exhibited an increase in this enzyme activity. However, such effects appeared to be transient, as the fission rate and PrChE activity values returned to the respective control values after a 24 h stay under standard conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department for the Study of the Territory and its Resources, University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amaroli
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trielli
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bianco
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moggia
authors.forename: Maria Umberta Delmonte
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Corrado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000528:radiation effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000528:radiation effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000528:radiation effects; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000032:analysis; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields
chemical_list: C025181:propionylcholinesterase; D002802:Cholinesterases