Sensitive assays combine to measure genetic damage and repair

According to a study from Norway, "the comet assay is a sensitive method for measuring DNA strand breaks in eukaryotic cells. After embedding in agarose, cells are lysed and electrophoresed at high pH. DNA loops containing breaks (in which supercoiling is relaxed) escape from the nucleoid comet head to form a tail."

"Oligonucleotide probes were designed for 5' and 3' regions of the genes for dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and O-6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), both from the Chinese hamster, and the human tumor suppressor p53 gene. Alternate ends were labeled with either...

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