The use of comet assay to assess global DNA methylation in human biomonitoring studies.
The Comet assay is a valuable tool for the detection of DNA damage in genotoxicity and human biomonitoring studies. Throughout the years, this biomarker has undergone several adaptations in their protocol in order to increase its sensitivity and the possible outcomes. By including an additional step...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-06-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Genetics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/conf.fgene.2015.01.00015/full |
| _version_ | 1818366801308811264 |
|---|---|
| author | Carla Costa Carla Costa Ana Catarina Alves |
| author_facet | Carla Costa Carla Costa Ana Catarina Alves |
| author_sort | Carla Costa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Comet assay is a valuable tool for the detection of DNA damage in genotoxicity and human biomonitoring studies. Throughout the years, this biomarker has undergone several adaptations in their protocol in order to increase its sensitivity and the possible outcomes. By including an additional step of DNA digestion with lesion-specific endonucleases, the comet assay can provide information regarding the type of DNA damage detected in cells. The use of these enzymes has also allowed the development of a methylation-sensitive modified version of the comet assay. This version enables the routine measurement of global methylation, as well as CpG island DNA methylation in a variety of cells while simultaneously determining the genetic integrity of examined cells (Wentzel, 2012). Briefly, it makes use of isochizomeric restriction enzymes HpaII and MspI (that display differential sensitivity to DNA methylation) to characterize methylation outside CpG islands and restriction enzyme NotI to determine DNA methylation in CpG islands. The technique has been recently adapted to a medium-throughput version (Lewies, 2014) that allows the simultaneous analysis of a larger number of samples and overcomes some technical problems. Nevertheless, this technique has not yet been carried out in human biomonitoring studies. In this context, the aim of this work was to make use of this version of the comet assay to characterize global DNA methylation in approximately 50 human samples. Samples were analysed by the methylation-sensitive modified version of the comet assay (medium-throughput) and by ELISA based assay. Data obtained with both methods were compared and reproducibility of the methylation-sensitive modified version of the comet assay determined.
Results obtained contribute to knowledge on the feasibility of this version of the comet assay and its possible usage in human biomonitoring studies as an epigenetic biomarker. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:41:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5b6e477d43f14790904add16b0a33561 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-8021 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:41:56Z |
| publishDate | 2015-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Genetics |
| spelling | doaj.art-5b6e477d43f14790904add16b0a335612022-12-21T23:28:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Genetics1664-80212015-06-01610.3389/conf.fgene.2015.01.00015151460The use of comet assay to assess global DNA methylation in human biomonitoring studies.Carla Costa0Carla Costa1Ana Catarina Alves2Portuguese National Institute of HealthEPIUnit - Institute of Public Health, University of PortoDepartment of Biology & CESAM, University of AveiroThe Comet assay is a valuable tool for the detection of DNA damage in genotoxicity and human biomonitoring studies. Throughout the years, this biomarker has undergone several adaptations in their protocol in order to increase its sensitivity and the possible outcomes. By including an additional step of DNA digestion with lesion-specific endonucleases, the comet assay can provide information regarding the type of DNA damage detected in cells. The use of these enzymes has also allowed the development of a methylation-sensitive modified version of the comet assay. This version enables the routine measurement of global methylation, as well as CpG island DNA methylation in a variety of cells while simultaneously determining the genetic integrity of examined cells (Wentzel, 2012). Briefly, it makes use of isochizomeric restriction enzymes HpaII and MspI (that display differential sensitivity to DNA methylation) to characterize methylation outside CpG islands and restriction enzyme NotI to determine DNA methylation in CpG islands. The technique has been recently adapted to a medium-throughput version (Lewies, 2014) that allows the simultaneous analysis of a larger number of samples and overcomes some technical problems. Nevertheless, this technique has not yet been carried out in human biomonitoring studies. In this context, the aim of this work was to make use of this version of the comet assay to characterize global DNA methylation in approximately 50 human samples. Samples were analysed by the methylation-sensitive modified version of the comet assay (medium-throughput) and by ELISA based assay. Data obtained with both methods were compared and reproducibility of the methylation-sensitive modified version of the comet assay determined. Results obtained contribute to knowledge on the feasibility of this version of the comet assay and its possible usage in human biomonitoring studies as an epigenetic biomarker.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/conf.fgene.2015.01.00015/fullComet AssayDNA MethylationELISA testhuman biomonitoringHuman cells |
| spellingShingle | Carla Costa Carla Costa Ana Catarina Alves The use of comet assay to assess global DNA methylation in human biomonitoring studies. Frontiers in Genetics Comet Assay DNA Methylation ELISA test human biomonitoring Human cells |
| title | The use of comet assay to assess global DNA methylation in human biomonitoring studies. |
| title_full | The use of comet assay to assess global DNA methylation in human biomonitoring studies. |
| title_fullStr | The use of comet assay to assess global DNA methylation in human biomonitoring studies. |
| title_full_unstemmed | The use of comet assay to assess global DNA methylation in human biomonitoring studies. |
| title_short | The use of comet assay to assess global DNA methylation in human biomonitoring studies. |
| title_sort | use of comet assay to assess global dna methylation in human biomonitoring studies |
| topic | Comet Assay DNA Methylation ELISA test human biomonitoring Human cells |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/conf.fgene.2015.01.00015/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carlacosta theuseofcometassaytoassessglobaldnamethylationinhumanbiomonitoringstudies AT carlacosta theuseofcometassaytoassessglobaldnamethylationinhumanbiomonitoringstudies AT anacatarinaalves theuseofcometassaytoassessglobaldnamethylationinhumanbiomonitoringstudies AT carlacosta useofcometassaytoassessglobaldnamethylationinhumanbiomonitoringstudies AT carlacosta useofcometassaytoassessglobaldnamethylationinhumanbiomonitoringstudies AT anacatarinaalves useofcometassaytoassessglobaldnamethylationinhumanbiomonitoringstudies |