Analysis of chromosomal rearrangements has been used for many years to determine whether an individual has been exposed to ionizing radiation, and to provide a reliable estimate of the exposure dose (reviewed in Cornforth 1998)). A rich and well-documented literature indicates that cytogenetic analysis can be used to determine exposures to radiation doses as low as 15 – 20cGy, and thus provides the most sensitive and reliable assay for radiation exposure. Implicit in interpreting these types of analysis is that the induced cytogenetic alterations result from the deposition of energy by ionizing radiation and subsequent cellular responses. Specifically, radiation exposure leads to DNA damage, namely single and double stranded DNA breaks, DNA – DNA and DNA – protein crosslinks, and DNA base damages (Ward 1988). The cell then responds to this damage by initiating changes in gene expression, inducing cell cycle checkpoint control strategies and signal transduction pathways, and activating DNA repair processes.
Revised: April 7, 2011 |
Published: July 10, 2007
Citation
Morgan W.F., and M.B. Sowa. 2007.Targeted and Non-Targeted Induction of Chromosomal Rearrangements After Exposure to Ionizing Radiation. In Chromosomal Alterations: Methods, Results and Importance in Human Health. 87-97. Berlin:Springer-Verlag.PNNL-SA-50877.