Validation of Comet assay in Oregon-R and Wild type strains of Drosophila melanogaster exposed to a natural radioactive environment in Brazilian semiarid region.
Natural radiation of geological origin is a common phenomenon in Brazil, a country where radioactive agents such as uranium may be often found. As an unstable atom, uranium undergoes radioactive decay with the generation of a series of decay by-products, including radon, which may be highly genotoxic and trigger several pathological processes, among which cancer. Because it is a gas, radon may move freely between cracks and gaps in the ground, seeping upwards into the buildings and in the environment. In this study, two Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Diptera, Drosophilidae) strains called Oregon-R and Wild (collected in a non-radioactive environment) were exposed to atmospheric radiation in the Lajes Pintadas city, in the semiarid zone of northeastern Brazil. After six days of environmental exposure, the organisms presented genetic damage significantly higher than that of the negative control group. The genotoxic effects observed reinforce the findings of other studies carried out in the same region, which warn about the environmental risks related to natural radioactivity occurrence. The results also validate the use of the Comet assay in hemocytes of D. melanogaster as a sensitive test to detect genotoxicity caused by natural radiation, and the use of a recently collected D. melanogaster strain in the environmental of radon.
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular Aplicada, Universidade de Pernambuco (UPE), Brazil; Laboratório de Genética, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Brazil.
Cícero Jorge
CJ
Verçosa
Laboratório de Radiobiologia e Mutagênese, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Brazil.
Aroldo Vieira de
AV
Moraes Filho
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular Aplicada, Universidade de Pernambuco (UPE), Brazil; Laboratório de Genética, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Brazil.
Ícaro Fillipe de Araújo
ÍFA
Castro
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular Aplicada, Universidade de Pernambuco (UPE), Brazil.
Robson Gomes Dos
RGD
Santos
Laboratório de Genética Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Brazil.
Kenya Silva
KS
Cunha
Laboratório de Mutagênese Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Brazil.
Daniela de Melo E
DME
Silva
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular Aplicada, Universidade de Pernambuco (UPE), Brazil.
Ana Cristina Lauer
ACL
Garcia
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil.
Julio Alejandro
JA
Navoni
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil; Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil.
Viviane Souza do
VSD
Amaral
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular Aplicada, Universidade de Pernambuco (UPE), Brazil; Laboratório de Genética, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Brazil. Electronic address: claudia.rohde@yahoo.com.br.
Claudia
C
Rohde
D000818:Animals; D001417:Background Radiation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001938:Brazil; D020552:Comet Assay / Q000379:methods*; D004249:DNA Damage; D003889:Desert Climate; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D011886:Radon / Q000633:toxicity*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014501:Uranium / Q000633:toxicity
D014501:Uranium; D011886:Radon
DNA damage; Environmental genotoxicity; Model organism; Radon ((222)Rn); Rio Grande do Norte – Brazil