Detection of DNA Damages Induced by Five Model Chemicals in Goldfish Carassius auratus Cells Using Comet Assay

Abstract

Our aim is to develop and evaluate monitoring systems using aquatic organisms to assess the genotoxicity of water. We evaluated the genotoxicity of 5 model chemical mutagens by single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) using goldfish primary culture cells. The cells were collected at 3 h after treatment of each mutagen. Treatments with an alkylating agent (MNNG), a DNA oxidative agent (H₂O₂), a DNA crosslinking agent (MMC), an RNA polymerase inhibitor (Actinomycin D), and a topoisiomerase inhibitor (VP-16) induced DNA fragmentation. All of tested chemicals induced DNA damage fragmented by dose- and time-dependently except MMC. Since the comet assay detects genotoxicity as DNA fragmentation, this result shows that the comet assay using fish cells are suitable for the monitoring of environmental genotoxicity.