Biomaterial Database

The Random Oligonucleotide-Primed Synthesis Assay for the Quantification of DNA Strand Breaks. 2017

Andriy Bilichak, and Igor Kovalchuk

Lethbridge Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.

DNA strand breaks arise from normal cellular processes such as replication, transcription, and DNA repair as well as spontaneous DNA damage caused by cell metabolic activities. In addition, strand breaks occur due to direct or indirect DNA damage produced by various abiotic and biotic stresses. Strand breaks are among the most problematic DNA lesions because unrepaired strand breaks may lead to cell cycle arrest, gross chromosome rearrangements, or even cell death. Thus, the measurement of the relative number of strand breaks can provide an informative picture of genome stability of a given cell, tissue, or organism. Here, we describe the use of random oligonucleotide-primed synthesis (ROPS) assay for the detection and quantification of the level of strand breaks in tissue samples. The applications of the assay for a quantitative detection of 3'OH, 3'P, or DNA strand breaks at a cleavage site of the deoxyribose residue are discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009841	Oligonucleotides	Polymers made up of a few (2-20) nucleotides. In molecular genetics, they refer to a short sequence synthesized to match a region where a mutation is known to occur, and then used as a probe (OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBES). (Dorland, 28th ed)	Oligonucleotide
D004260	DNA Repair	The removal of DNA LESIONS and/or restoration of intact DNA strands without BASE PAIR MISMATCHES, intrastrand or interstrand crosslinks, or discontinuities in the DNA sugar-phosphate backbones.	DNA Damage Response
D004261	DNA Replication	The process by which a DNA molecule is duplicated.	Autonomous Replication,Replication, Autonomous,Autonomous Replications,DNA Replications,Replication, DNA,Replications, Autonomous,Replications, DNA
D042822	Genomic Instability	An increased tendency of the GENOME to acquire MUTATIONS when various processes involved in maintaining and replicating the genome are dysfunctional.	Genome Instability,Genome Stability,Genomic Stability,Genome Instabilities,Genome Stabilities,Genomic Instabilities,Genomic Stabilities,Instabilities, Genome,Instabilities, Genomic,Instability, Genome,Instability, Genomic,Stabilities, Genome,Stabilities, Genomic,Stability, Genome,Stability, Genomic
D053960	DNA Breaks	Interruptions in the sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA.	DNA Break,Break, DNA,Breaks, DNA