Assessment of air pollution genotoxicity by molecular markers in the exposed samples of Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf in the province of Kayseri (Central Anatolia)

Abstract

In living organisms heterogenous air pollutants are considered as a major source of DNA damage. In this study, we aimed to describe the DNA changes in Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf samples exposed to pollution at various sites in Kayseri by RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) analysis in order to reveal the pattern of genetic variation influenced by the environmental pollution. The study area is characterized by the presence of numerous industrial activities, such as steel works, glassworks, shipbuilding, and metallurgical, mechanical, chemical and food industries. Control samples were collected from Cat forest (Sivas) and exposed to pollution in dry and wet seasons in the province of Kayseri located in Central Anatolia. Results indicated that heterogeneous pollutants might have contributed to the changes in the band patterns obtained by RAPD analysis, reflecting the occurrence of DNA damage in the control samples.

Evaluation of genotoxicity of Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf by RAPD analysis

“…Although the polymorphism percentages were not calculated in the study obvious band changes were visualized especially 24 and 48 h after of Pb treatments. Results of the study displayed that even just one kind of a stressor (Pb) might induce DNA changes in P. furfuracea samples in a controlled environment (Aras et al, 2010). Thus, it might become easier to explain the level of polymorphism recorded in the current study when we consider the complexity of the atmospheric environment in which various gases and contaminants exist together.…”

“…However in these studies, physiological parameters are used to evaluate environmental damage to lichens such as photosynthesis, respiration, chlorophyll content and degradation, membrane integrity and stress-ethylene production (Liu et al, 2005). On the other hand, although lichens are considered very good bioindicators of air pollution and numerous studies have been conducted about their heavy metal accumulation capacity, only two studies conducted in our laboratory have been published to our knowledge, about their putative genotoxicity indicator capacity (Aras et al, 2010;Cansaran-Duman et al, 2011).…”

“…In this regard, induction of DNA band changes with one kind of a stressor found in air pollution might provide evidence of the genotoxic potential of air pollution. In a previous study, a controlled experiment with one type of heavy metal treatment was also conducted in our laboratory in order to show the effects of a genotoxic agent in a controlled environment (Aras et al, 2010). In the study a clean sample of P. furfuracea collected from the Yenice Forest was exposed to various doses of Pb in different time intervals.…”

“…In contrast to physical and chemical methods, biological methods allow the direct assessment of the genotoxic potential of air stressors. These advantages feature biological data for the estimation of environmental impact and the potential impact on other organisms, including humans (Piraino et al, 2006;Aras et al, 2010).…”

Environmental risk assessment under the pollutants exposure with using four lichen species and molecular assay in cement plant, Aşkale-Erzurum (Turkey)

“…Due to highly conserved structure of the genetic material, it is possible to use a broad variety of species including bacteria, yeasts, lichens, animals and plants in genotoxicity tests (30,31,41). In this study, we suggest that molecular and biological assays examined In recent years, lichens have begun to be used as good bioindicators of genetic toxicity of environmental pollutants (22)(23)(24)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35).…”