The morphological changes of γ-H2AX foci along the ion-beam tracks

Abstract

When the genome DNA of the eukaryotes is damaged and caused double strand breaks (DSBs), H2AXs nearby the damaged region are phosphorylated by the protein kinases such as ATM, NBS1, and DNA PKcs. Therefore, it is possible to assume that localization of γ-H2AX reflects the location and quantity of DSBs in the nucleus.
Effects of the ion-beam to the cell are thought to be partially attributed to the localized energy deposition, especially in the case of a heavy ion-beam, that deposites large energy along the particle track. When such beams are irradiated to the cell nucleus, it is predicted that concentrated DSBs are evoked along the beam track. Actually, there have been some reports, including ours, that indicates γ-H2AX foci formations reflecting the beam tracks after the irradiation of heavy ion-beam.
However, there is no detailed information about the morphological changes of γ-H2AX foci according to the loss of beam energy during the penetration. We report the morphological changes of γ-H2AX foci along the path of ion-beam, such as hydrogen, carbon, and argon ions, in the culture medium and cells.