Genotoxic Potential of Nanoparticles: Structural and Functional Modifications in DNA

Abstract

The rapid advancement of nanotechnology enhances the production of different nanoparticles that meet the demand of various fields like biomedical sciences, industrial, material sciences and biotechnology, etc. This technological development increases the chances of nanoparticles exposure to human beings, which can threaten their health. It is well known that various cellular processes (transcription, translation, and replication during cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell differentiation) in which genetic materials (DNA and RNA) are involved play a vital role to maintain any structural and functional modification into it. When nanoparticles come into the vicinity of the cellular system, chances of uptake become high due to their small size. This cellular uptake of nanoparticles enhances its interaction with DNA, leading to structural and functional modification (DNA damage/repair, DNA methylation) into the DNA. These modifications exhibit adverse effects on the cellular system, consequently showing its inadvertent effect on human health. Therefore, in the present study, an attempt has been made to elucidate the genotoxic mechanism of nanoparticles in the context of structural and functional modifications of DNA.

Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on the In Vitro Regeneration, Biochemical, Genetic, and Phenotype Variation in Adventitious Shoots Produced from Leaf Explants in Chrysanthemum

“…This is probably due to the five-fold higher concentration of AgNPs used (50-100 mg•L −1 ). Our findings confirm the genotoxic character of nanoparticles, also described by other authors [41], particularly if applied at a high concentration. It can also be suggested that AgNPs have a higher mutagenic potential than the gold nanoparticles that induced variation only in 7.5% of Lamprocapnos spectabilis (L.) Fukuhara plants at 100 mg•L −1 concentration [42].…”

Nanosafety: An Evolving Concept to Bring the Safest Possible Nanomaterials to Society and Environment

“…Genotoxicity, the damage to genetic materials, may lead to carcinogenesis and other chronic diseases. If germ cell DNA is compromised, it will affect the individual health and could also have an impact on the next generations [ 92 , 93 , 94 ]. Therefore, genotoxicity assessment is considered a crucial aspect of nanomaterial hazard identification.…”

“…Therefore, genotoxicity assessment is considered a crucial aspect of nanomaterial hazard identification. The mode of nanomaterial-induced genotoxicity can be classified as direct primary (interaction between nanomaterial and genetic materials directly), indirect primary (nanomaterial-induced reactive nitrogen species (RNS)/ROS species affecting the genetic materials), and secondary (damage of genetic materials due to nanomaterial-induced inflammation) mechanisms [ 92 , 95 , 96 , 97 ]. Oxidative stress has been widely considered an underlying mechanism of nanomaterial-induced genotoxicity [ 92 , 94 , 98 , 99 ].…”

“…The current state of genotoxicity assessments still depends on genotoxicity tests that were designed to screen general chemical agents and have been adapted for nanomaterials ( Table 2 ), and no nanoparticle-specific positive controls have been established [ 100 ] in this regard. The genotoxicity assessment mainly includes DNA damage (strand break, adduct formation), gene mutation, and chromosomal damage (clastogenicity and aneugenicity) as endpoints [ 92 , 93 , 94 , 98 ]. In vitro (human and murine cultured cell lines) systems are the most widely used models, followed by in vivo (mainly rats and mice) ones, for nanogenotoxicity assessment [ 93 , 98 ].…”

Nanotechnology for the bioremediation of organic and inorganic compounds in aquatic ecosystem/marine ecosystem

“…Characteristics that make nanoparticles useful are also responsible for inducing toxic effects on aquatic organisms. Concerns about the effects on genotoxicity of NM have increased in the last years [108]. Carbon nanotube-induced genotoxicity can be ascribed to various factors such as direct interaction with cellular components, direct interaction of the particles with the DNA, the release of toxic ions and indirect destruction caused by ROS [109].…”