WiFi Related Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Promote Transposable Element Dysregulation and Genomic Instability in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>
Exposure to artificial radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) has greatly increased in recent years, thus promoting a growing scientific and social interest in deepening the biological impact of EMFs on living organisms. The current legislation governing the exposure to RF-EMFs is based ex...
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Cells |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/11/24/4036 |
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| author | Ugo Cappucci Assunta Maria Casale Mirena Proietti Fiorenzo Marinelli Livio Giuliani Lucia Piacentini |
| author_facet | Ugo Cappucci Assunta Maria Casale Mirena Proietti Fiorenzo Marinelli Livio Giuliani Lucia Piacentini |
| author_sort | Ugo Cappucci |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Exposure to artificial radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) has greatly increased in recent years, thus promoting a growing scientific and social interest in deepening the biological impact of EMFs on living organisms. The current legislation governing the exposure to RF-EMFs is based exclusively on their thermal effects, without considering the possible non-thermal adverse health effects from long term exposure to EMFs. In this study we investigated the biological non-thermal effects of low-level indoor exposure to RF-EMFs produced by WiFi wireless technologies, using <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> as the model system. Flies were exposed to 2.4 GHz radiofrequency in a Transverse Electromagnetic (TEM) cell device to ensure homogenous controlled fields. Signals were continuously monitored during the experiments and regulated at non thermal levels. The results of this study demonstrate that WiFi electromagnetic radiation causes extensive heterochromatin decondensation and thus a general loss of transposable elements epigenetic silencing in both germinal and neural tissues. Moreover, our findings provide evidence that WiFi related radiofrequency electromagnetic fields can induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, genomic instability, and behavioural abnormalities. Finally, we demonstrate that WiFi radiation can synergize with Ras<sup>V12</sup> to drive tumor progression and invasion. All together, these data indicate that radiofrequency radiation emitted from WiFi devices could exert genotoxic effects in <i>Drosophila</i> and set the stage to further explore the biological effects of WiFi electromagnetic radiation on living organisms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:13:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1a8e7aaf1ab94add81da07a0fc372727 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4409 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:13:02Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cells |
| spelling | doaj.art-1a8e7aaf1ab94add81da07a0fc3727272023-11-24T13:54:42ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092022-12-011124403610.3390/cells11244036WiFi Related Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Promote Transposable Element Dysregulation and Genomic Instability in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>Ugo Cappucci0Assunta Maria Casale1Mirena Proietti2Fiorenzo Marinelli3Livio Giuliani4Lucia Piacentini5Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyNational Research Council of Italy (CNR), Istituto di Genetica Molecolare (IGM), 40136 Bologna, ItalyICEMS-CIRPS (Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca Per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile), 00038 Valmontone (Rome), ItalyDepartment of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyExposure to artificial radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) has greatly increased in recent years, thus promoting a growing scientific and social interest in deepening the biological impact of EMFs on living organisms. The current legislation governing the exposure to RF-EMFs is based exclusively on their thermal effects, without considering the possible non-thermal adverse health effects from long term exposure to EMFs. In this study we investigated the biological non-thermal effects of low-level indoor exposure to RF-EMFs produced by WiFi wireless technologies, using <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> as the model system. Flies were exposed to 2.4 GHz radiofrequency in a Transverse Electromagnetic (TEM) cell device to ensure homogenous controlled fields. Signals were continuously monitored during the experiments and regulated at non thermal levels. The results of this study demonstrate that WiFi electromagnetic radiation causes extensive heterochromatin decondensation and thus a general loss of transposable elements epigenetic silencing in both germinal and neural tissues. Moreover, our findings provide evidence that WiFi related radiofrequency electromagnetic fields can induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, genomic instability, and behavioural abnormalities. Finally, we demonstrate that WiFi radiation can synergize with Ras<sup>V12</sup> to drive tumor progression and invasion. All together, these data indicate that radiofrequency radiation emitted from WiFi devices could exert genotoxic effects in <i>Drosophila</i> and set the stage to further explore the biological effects of WiFi electromagnetic radiation on living organisms.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/11/24/4036radiofrequency electromagnetic fieldstransposable elements<i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> |
| spellingShingle | Ugo Cappucci Assunta Maria Casale Mirena Proietti Fiorenzo Marinelli Livio Giuliani Lucia Piacentini WiFi Related Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Promote Transposable Element Dysregulation and Genomic Instability in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> Cells radiofrequency electromagnetic fields transposable elements <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> |
| title | WiFi Related Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Promote Transposable Element Dysregulation and Genomic Instability in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> |
| title_full | WiFi Related Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Promote Transposable Element Dysregulation and Genomic Instability in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> |
| title_fullStr | WiFi Related Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Promote Transposable Element Dysregulation and Genomic Instability in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | WiFi Related Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Promote Transposable Element Dysregulation and Genomic Instability in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> |
| title_short | WiFi Related Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Promote Transposable Element Dysregulation and Genomic Instability in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> |
| title_sort | wifi related radiofrequency electromagnetic fields promote transposable element dysregulation and genomic instability in i drosophila melanogaster i |
| topic | radiofrequency electromagnetic fields transposable elements <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/11/24/4036 |
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