GENOTOXICITY OF SELECT HERBICIDES IN RANA-CATESBEIANA TADPOLES USING THE ALKALINE SINGLE-CELL GEL DNA ELECTROPHORESIS (COMET) ASSAY

Citation
C. Clements et al., GENOTOXICITY OF SELECT HERBICIDES IN RANA-CATESBEIANA TADPOLES USING THE ALKALINE SINGLE-CELL GEL DNA ELECTROPHORESIS (COMET) ASSAY, Environmental and molecular mutagenesis, 29(3), 1997, pp. 277-288
Citations number
65
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Environmental Sciences","Genetics & Heredity
ISSN journal
0893-6692
Volume
29
Issue
3
Year of publication
1997
Pages
277 - 288
Database
ISI
SICI code
0893-6692(1997)29:3<277:GOSHIR>2.0.ZU;2-5
Abstract
Pesticides are broadly used for pest control in agriculture despite po ssible negative impacts they may pose to the environment. Thus, we exa mined the DNA damage caused by Five herbicides commonly used in southe rn Ontario (Canada). Erythrocytes from Rana catesbeiana (bullfrog) tad poles were evaluated For DNA damage following exposure to selected her bicides, using the alkaline single-cell gel DNA electrophoresis (SCG) or ''comet'' assay [Singh et al. (1988): Exp Cell Res 175:184-191; Ral ph et al. (1996): Eviron Mol Mutagen 28:112-120]. This approach involv es detection, under alkaline conditions, of DNA Fragments that upon el ectrophoresis migrate from the nuclear core, resulting in a comet form ation. The herbicides tested, along with their active ingredients, wer e AAtrex Nine-O (atrazine), Dual-960E (metalochlor), Roundup (glyphosa te), Sencor-500F (metribuzin), and Amsol (2,4-D amine). Tadpoles were exposed in the laboratory For a 24-hr period to several concentrations of the herbicides dissolved in dechlorinated water. Methyl methanesul phonate was used as a positive control. The herbicides AAtrex Nine-O-, Dual-960E-, Roundup-, and Sencor-500F-treated tadpoles showed signifi cant DNA damage when compared with unexposed control animals, whereas, Amsol-treated tadpoles did not. Unlike the other responding herbicide s, Sencor-500F did not show a relationship between dosage and DNA dama ge. In summary, the results indicate that at least some of the herbici des currently used in southern Ontario are capable of inducing DNA dam age in tadpoles. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.