Biological Evaluation of DNA Damage in Bacteriophages Inactivated by Atmospheric Pressure Cold Plasma

摘要

Inactivation mechanisms of plasma treated microorganisms are still major subjects. We have developed a biological assay which evaluates in vivo DNA damage of the viruses treated with non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma in air. Different doses of the plasma were applied to rnwet state of λ phage particles under neutral pH and near the room temperature. From each sample of treated λ phages, DNA was purified and subjected to in vitro DNA packaging reactions. Survival curves of the re-packaged phages showed an extremely large D value (D = 25 s) compared to the previous D value (D = 3 s) obtained from the survival curves of the treated phages. The results indicate the evidence thatrnDNA damage hardly contributed to the inactivation.