This paper presents data on modelling of DNA damage induced by electrons, protons and alpha-particles to provide an insight into factors which determine the biological effectiveness of radiations of high and low linear energy transfer (LET). These data include the yield of single- and double-strand breaks (ssb, dsb) and base damage in a cellular environment. We obtain a ratio of 4-15 for ssb:dsb for solid and cellular DNA and a preliminary ratio of about 2 for base damage to strand breakage. Data are also given on specific characteristics of damage at the DNA level in the form of clustered damage of varying complexity, that challenge the repair processes and if not processed adequately could lead to the observed biological effects. It is shown that nearly 30% of dsb are of complex form for low-LET radiation, solely by virtue of additional breaks, rising to about 70% for high-LET radiation. Inclusion of base damage increases the complex proportion to about 60% and 90% for low- and high-LET radiation, respectively. The data show a twofold increase in frequencies of complex dsb from low-LET radiation when base damage is taken into account. It is shown that most ssb induced by high-LET radiation have associated base damages, and also a substantial proportion is induced by low-energy electrons.
A Monte Carlo track structure calculation of single- and double-strand breaks induced by direct energy deposition in DNA and by interacting diffusible .OH radicals with DNA has been made for low energy electrons. The .OH radicals generated within 4 nm of linear segments of DNA were diffused in order to mimic the mean diffusion distance in the cellular environment. The reactions of the radical species .OH, .H and e-aq were included in this study. The calculated values for the yield of single- and double-strand breaks have been compared with experimentally determined values from the literature. The calculations indicate, too, that the majority of dsb have additional associated damage, constituting clustered lesions of varying complexity.
Modelling and calculations are presented for the spectrum of initial DNA damage produced by 100 eV to 100 keV energetic electrons. Analysis of the initial spectrum of damage, based upon the source (direct energy deposition and reactions with diffusing OH radicals) and complexity of damage, indicates that the majority of the interactions cause no damage to DNA and any damage that does occur is most likely to be a simple single strand break (SSB). The fraction of complex damage for energetic electrons is lower than that induced by low energy electrons and ultrasoft X rays but still represents an appreciable fraction (20-30%) of the total double strand breaks (DSBs). Relative yields of strand breaks are investigated for dependence on the assumed energy deposition threshold and on the probability of the hydroxyl radicals to produce a single strand break. The ratio of direct to indirect damage does not change significantly across the electron energy range investigated and the values lie well within the experimental data. The direct energy deposition in DNA represents a larger proportion of the damage although the contribution from the hydroxyl radicals is also substantial, both in terms of the absolute yield of the breaks and the complexity of the damage.
Modelling and calculations are presented as a first step towards mechanistic interpretation and prediction of radiation effects based on the spectrum of initial DNA damage produced by low energy electrons (100 eV-4.5 keV) that can be compared with experimental information. Relative yields of single and clustered strand breaks are presented in terms of complexity and source of damage, either by direct energy deposition or by reaction of OH radicals, and dependence on the activation probability of OH radicals and the amount of energy required to give a single strand break (ssb). Data show that the majority of interactions in DNA do not lead to damage in the form of strand breaks and when they do occur, they are most frequently simple ssb. However, for double-strand breaks (dsb), a high proportion (approximately 30%) are of more complex forms, even without considering additional complexity from base damage. The greater contribution is from direct interactions in the DNA but reactions of OH radicals add substantially to this, both in terms of the total number of breaks and in increasing the complexity within a cluster. It has been shown that the lengths of damaged segments of DNA from individual electron tracks tend to be short, indicating that consequent deletion length (simply by loss of a fragment between nearby dsb) would be short, very seldom exceeding a few tens of base pairs.
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