Dynamic Analysis of DNA Damage by Flow Cytometry and FISH

Abstract

The micronucleus assay, developed to assess DNA damage induced by noxious agents, supplies information on whether the damage is due to clastogenic or aneugenic action. Although it is the test that can be used to assess agents' toxicity, it cannot provide information on the molecular events that result in the induction of micronuclei. To study the molecular events, the combination of both microscopic and analytical techniques is required. Flow-sorting induced micronuclei, based on their DNA content, in combination with chromosomal FISH and other molecular techniques, may provide information on these events.

The use of premature chromosome condensation to study in interphase cells the influence of environmental factors on human genetic material

“…Because of the complexity of chromosomal rearrangements, the combination of PCC with other sophisticated techniques seems to elucidate the effect of environmental factor on chromosomes. For example, conventional or chemically induced PCC can be combined with several chromosomal staining techniques (Q banding, G banding, C banding, fluorescent-plus-Giemsa) or FISH [107] for the identification of chromosome aberrations in human and rat lymphocytes, bone marrow cells, and human skin fibroblasts after exposure to ionizing radiation or chemical exposure [58,75,108,109,110,111,112] as well as in interphase tumor cells [113,114].…”