The comet assay in animal models: From bugs to whales – (Part 2 Vertebrates)

Publication date: Available online 20 April 2019Source: Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation ResearchAuthor(s): Goran Gajski, Bojana Žegura, Carina Ladeira, Matjaž Novak, Monika Sramkova, Bertrand Pourrut, Cristian Del Bo’, Mirta Milić, Kristine Bjerve Gutzkow, Solange Costa, Maria Dusinska, Gunnar Brunborg, Andrew CollinsAbstractThe comet assay has become one of the methods of choice for the evaluation and measurement of DNA damage. It is sensitive, quick to perform and relatively affordable for the evaluation of DNA damage and repair at the level of individual cells. The comet assay can be applied to virtually any cell type derived from different organs and tissues. Even though the comet assay is predominantly used on human cells, the application of the assay for the evaluation of DNA damage in yeast, plant and animal cells is also quite high, especially in terms of biomonitoring. The present extensive overview on the usage of the comet assay in animal models will cover both terrestrial and water environments. The first part of the review was focused on studies describing the comet assay applied in invertebrates. The second part of the review, (Part 2) will discuss the application of the comet assay in vertebrates covering cyclostomata, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, in addition to chordates that are regarded as a transitional form towards vertebrates. Besides numerous vertebrate species, the assay is also performed on a range of cells, which include...
Source: Mutation Research Reviews in Mutation Research - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research