Biomaterial Database

Monte Carlo simulation of DNA strand-break induction in supercoiled plasmid pBR322 DNA from indirect effects. 1998

H Tomita, and M Kai, and T Kusama, and A Ito

Department of Radiological Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan. tomita@crl.hitachi.co.jp

We present a new Monte Carlo simulation code system (DBREAK) of the detailed events that occur when ionizing radiation interacts with water and DNA molecules. The model treats the initial energy deposition by radiation, the formation of chemically active species, subsequent diffusion-controlled chemical reactions, and induction of DNA strand breaks. DBREAK assumes one-hit single-strand break (SSB) and two-hit double-strand break (DSB) mechanisms. A high-resolution model of plasmid DNA structure has been introduced. The calculated results are compared with the results of previously performed experiments of the same type. Under aerobic conditions, 89.4% of the DNA damage was attributed to OH-radical and 10.5% and 0.1% to eaq- and H, respectively. We also compared the differences between liquid-water track structure and gas-phase-water track structure. The calculated yield of SSBs by liquid-water track structure exceeded that of gas-phase-water track structure by a factor of 1.2.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008956	Models, Chemical	Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of chemical processes or phenomena; includes the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.	Chemical Models,Chemical Model,Model, Chemical
D009010	Monte Carlo Method	In statistics, a technique for numerically approximating the solution of a mathematical problem by studying the distribution of some random variable, often generated by a computer. The name alludes to the randomness characteristic of the games of chance played at the gambling casinos in Monte Carlo. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed, 1993)	Method, Monte Carlo
D009690	Nucleic Acid Conformation	The spatial arrangement of the atoms of a nucleic acid or polynucleotide that results in its characteristic 3-dimensional shape.	DNA Conformation,RNA Conformation,Conformation, DNA,Conformation, Nucleic Acid,Conformation, RNA,Conformations, DNA,Conformations, Nucleic Acid,Conformations, RNA,DNA Conformations,Nucleic Acid Conformations,RNA Conformations
D010957	Plasmids	Extrachromosomal, usually CIRCULAR DNA molecules that are self-replicating and transferable from one organism to another. They are found in a variety of bacterial, archaeal, fungal, algal, and plant species. They are used in GENETIC ENGINEERING as CLONING VECTORS.	Episomes,Episome,Plasmid
D011839	Radiation, Ionizing	ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION or particle radiation (high energy ELEMENTARY PARTICLES) capable of directly or indirectly producing IONS in its passage through matter. The wavelengths of ionizing electromagnetic radiation are equal to or smaller than those of short (far) ultraviolet radiation and include gamma and X-rays.	Ionizing Radiation,Ionizing Radiations,Radiations, Ionizing
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
D004278	DNA, Superhelical	Circular duplex DNA isolated from viruses, bacteria and mitochondria in supercoiled or supertwisted form. This superhelical DNA is endowed with free energy. During transcription, the magnitude of RNA initiation is proportional to the DNA superhelicity.	DNA, Supercoiled,DNA, Supertwisted,Supercoiled DNA,Superhelical DNA,Supertwisted DNA
D004307	Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation	The relationship between the dose of administered radiation and the response of the organism or tissue to the radiation.	Dose Response Relationship, Radiation,Dose-Response Relationships, Radiation,Radiation Dose-Response Relationship,Radiation Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Radiation Dose-Response,Relationships, Radiation Dose-Response
D000332	Aerobiosis	Life or metabolic reactions occurring in an environment containing oxygen.	Aerobioses
D000465	Algorithms	A procedure consisting of a sequence of algebraic formulas and/or logical steps to calculate or determine a given task.	Algorithm