Abstract
To assess the possibility that extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields obstructed the damage repair process, we examined the gene conversion frequency and cell cycle kinetics in DNA repair proficient strain and in nucleotide excision repair (NER) deficient strain of diploid yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast cells were irradiated with UV followed by exposure to magnetic fields up to 30mT. After exposure, the colony-forming ability was scored as revertants in which gene conversion had restored the functional allele of ARG4. Cell cycle analysis was performed using flow cytometry. A gene conversion rate was increased by the combined exposure in DNA repair proficient cells. The UV-induced G1 arrest was inhibited by exposure to ELF magnetic field in both strains. These results suggest that exposure to high density ELF magnetic fields decreased the efficiency of NER by suppressing G1 arrest, which turned into the enhancement of the UV-induced gene conversion. [J Radiat Res 44:419 (2003)]
