Comet Assay for the Detection of Single and Double-Strand DNA Breaks. 2022

Logan Dunkenberger, and Krzysztof Reiss, and Luis Del Valle
Neurological Cancer Research, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.

DNA damage is a common event that occurs during the life span of the majority of cells, as a result of aberrant energy metabolism, exposure to radiation, DNA damaging chemicals, and viral infections. Rapid, sensitive, and economical methods for the detection of DNA damage offer valuable insights into DNA repair, drug genotoxicity, and biomonitoring. The comet assay, or single cell electrophoresis, has emerged as a popular method for detecting single- and double-stranded DNA breaks in single cells. This experimental technique is based on the fact that, when exposed to an electric current, damaged DNA fragments in a gel, migrate farther from the nucleus toward the anode resulting in the shape of a comet. This assay is versatile, quantitative, simple to perform and exhibits high sensitivity; however, consistent experimental conditions must be maintained to ensure assay reproducibility. Electrophoresis can be performed under neutral conditions to detect solely double stranded breaks, or under alkaline conditions to detect both single- and double-stranded breaks. This chapter describes the protocol for both alkaline and neutral comet assays.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D004247 DNA A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine). DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D004249 DNA Damage Injuries to DNA that introduce deviations from its normal, intact structure and which may, if left unrepaired, result in a MUTATION or a block of DNA REPLICATION. These deviations may be caused by physical or chemical agents and occur by natural or unnatural, introduced circumstances. They include the introduction of illegitimate bases during replication or by deamination or other modification of bases; the loss of a base from the DNA backbone leaving an abasic site; single-strand breaks; double strand breaks; and intrastrand (PYRIMIDINE DIMERS) or interstrand crosslinking. Damage can often be repaired (DNA REPAIR). If the damage is extensive, it can induce APOPTOSIS. DNA Injury,DNA Lesion,DNA Lesions,Genotoxic Stress,Stress, Genotoxic,Injury, DNA,DNA Injuries
D015203 Reproducibility of Results The statistical reproducibility of measurements (often in a clinical context), including the testing of instrumentation or techniques to obtain reproducible results. The concept includes reproducibility of physiological measurements, which may be used to develop rules to assess probability or prognosis, or response to a stimulus; reproducibility of occurrence of a condition; and reproducibility of experimental results. Reliability and Validity,Reliability of Result,Reproducibility Of Result,Reproducibility of Finding,Validity of Result,Validity of Results,Face Validity,Reliability (Epidemiology),Reliability of Results,Reproducibility of Findings,Test-Retest Reliability,Validity (Epidemiology),Finding Reproducibilities,Finding Reproducibility,Of Result, Reproducibility,Of Results, Reproducibility,Reliabilities, Test-Retest,Reliability, Test-Retest,Result Reliabilities,Result Reliability,Result Validities,Result Validity,Result, Reproducibility Of,Results, Reproducibility Of,Test Retest Reliability,Validity and Reliability,Validity, Face
D053903 DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded Interruptions in the sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA, across both strands adjacently. Double-Stranded DNA Breaks,Double-Strand DNA Breaks,Double-Stranded DNA Break,Break, Double-Strand DNA,Break, Double-Stranded DNA,Breaks, Double-Strand DNA,Breaks, Double-Stranded DNA,DNA Break, Double-Strand,DNA Break, Double-Stranded,DNA Breaks, Double Stranded,DNA Breaks, Double-Strand,Double Strand DNA Breaks,Double Stranded DNA Break,Double Stranded DNA Breaks,Double-Strand DNA Break
D020552 Comet Assay A genotoxicological technique for measuring DNA damage in an individual cell using single-cell gel electrophoresis. Cell DNA fragments assume a "comet with tail" formation on electrophoresis and are detected with an image analysis system. Alkaline assay conditions facilitate sensitive detection of single-strand damage. Alkaline Comet Assay,Alkaline Single-Cell Gel Electrophoresis Assay,Electrophoresis, Gel, Single-Cell,Gel Electrophoresis, Single-Cell,Alkaline Comet Assays,Alkaline Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis Assay,Assay, Alkaline Comet,Assay, Comet,Assays, Alkaline Comet,Assays, Comet,Comet Assay, Alkaline,Comet Assays,Comet Assays, Alkaline,Electrophoreses, Single-Cell Gel,Electrophoresis, Single-Cell Gel,Gel Electrophoreses, Single-Cell,Gel Electrophoresis, Single Cell,Single-Cell Gel Electrophoreses,Single-Cell Gel Electrophoresis

Related Publications

Logan Dunkenberger, and Krzysztof Reiss, and Luis Del Valle
January 2017, Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.),
Logan Dunkenberger, and Krzysztof Reiss, and Luis Del Valle
February 2024, Nucleic acids research,
Logan Dunkenberger, and Krzysztof Reiss, and Luis Del Valle
March 1996, Analytical biochemistry,
Logan Dunkenberger, and Krzysztof Reiss, and Luis Del Valle
January 2002, Cell biology and toxicology,
Logan Dunkenberger, and Krzysztof Reiss, and Luis Del Valle
December 1998, Mutation research,
Logan Dunkenberger, and Krzysztof Reiss, and Luis Del Valle
October 2015, Electrophoresis,
Logan Dunkenberger, and Krzysztof Reiss, and Luis Del Valle
September 2002, Mutation research,
Logan Dunkenberger, and Krzysztof Reiss, and Luis Del Valle
February 2009, Toxicology letters,
Logan Dunkenberger, and Krzysztof Reiss, and Luis Del Valle
July 1999, Mutagenesis,
Logan Dunkenberger, and Krzysztof Reiss, and Luis Del Valle
September 2022, Drug delivery and translational research,
Copied contents to your clipboard!