Application of single cell gel electrophoresis for detection of DNA single strand breaks in DNA of fish blood cell

摘要

Single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) was used to detect DNA single strand break in blood cells from several marine fish species. Three fish species were collected from Georgia coastal area. Mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus showed higher DNAdamage than sea bass. Lateolabrax japonicus and trout, Oncorhynchus mason mason under the same experimental conditions. Mummichogs had more alkaline-labile sites on their DNA than other fish species. The comet assay with mummichog blood cells at pH 12.5showed a dose-response curve with the increasing concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. While the isolated leucocytes showed no increase of DNA damage after in vitro exposure to 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (MNQ), erythrocytes showed dose-dependent DNA damage. These results indicate that the comet assay can be applied successfully as a bioassay using erythrocyte for environmental monitoring.