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Freshwater planarians as novel organisms for genotoxicity testing: Analysis of chromosome aberrations
Author(s) -
Lau Adriana Helena,
Knakievicz Tanise,
Prá Daniel,
Erdtmann Bernardo
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
environmental and molecular mutagenesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1098-2280
pISSN - 0893-6692
DOI - 10.1002/em.20307
Subject(s) - genotoxicity , biology , clastogen , planarian , chromosome aberration , ethyl methanesulfonate , planaria , chromosome , micronucleus test , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , toxicology , regeneration (biology) , toxicity , gene , chemistry , mutation , organic chemistry
Two freshwater species of planarians, Girardia schubarti Marcus and G. tigrina Girard, were used for measuring chromosome aberration (CA) induction under laboratory conditions. Three genotoxicants were tested: methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), a direct‐acting genotoxicant; cyclophosphamide, a metabolism‐dependent genotoxicant; and γ‐radiation, a clastogenic agent. All three agents produced positive responses in both species. The strongest dose‐responses were detected with MMS, and, in general, G. tigrina was somewhat more sensitive to the genotoxicity of the agents than G. schubarti . This difference in sensitivity may be due to: (a) the smaller body mass of G. tigrina ; (b) differences in DNA repair, which may be reflected in the marginally higher background CA frequency of G. tigrina ; and/or (c) the greater number of chromosomes in G. tigrina (2 N = 16) as compared with G. schubarti (2 N = 8). The responses induced by γ‐radiation in the planarians were similar to or higher than those induced in cultured human lymphocytes. The CA‐planarian assay has advantages for monitoring environmental genotoxicity in natural water resources or urban and industrial wastewater since planarians are characterized by (a) a relatively low number of easily analyzable chromosomes; (b) high regenerating capacity, allowing exposure of replicating cells from different parts of the same organism to different doses; (c) easy maintenance under laboratory conditions; and (d) worldwide distribution, making them available for genotoxicity tests using either in situ or controlled laboratory exposure conditions. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.