Influence of low-dose and low-dose-rate ionizing radiation on mutation induction in human cells

Abstract

This is a review paper to introduce our recent studies on the genetic effects of low-dose and low-dose-rate ionizing radiation (IR). Human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells were exposed to γ-rays at a dose-rate of 1.2 mGy/h (total 30 mGy). The frequency of early mutations (EMs) in the thymidine kinase ( TK) gene locus was determined to be 1.7 × 10 −6, or 1.9-fold higher than the level seen in unirradated controls [Umebayashi, Y., Honma, M., Suzuki, M., Suzuki, H., Shimazu, T., Ishioka, N., Iwaki, M., Yatagai, F., Mutation induction in cultured human cells after low-dose and low-dose-rate γ-ray irradiation: detection by LOH analysis. J. Radiat. Res., 48, 7–11, 2007]. These mutants were then analyzed for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) events. Small interstitial-deletion events were restricted to the TK gene locus and were not observed in EMs in unirradated controls, but they comprised about half of the EMs (8/15) after IR exposure. Because of the low level of exposure to IR, this specific type of event cannot be considered to be the direct result of an IR-induced DNA double strand break (DSB). To better understand the effects of low-level IR exposure, the repair efficiency of site-specific chromosomal DSBs was also examined. The pre γ-irradiation under the same condition did not largely influence the efficiency of DSB repair via end-joining, but enhanced such efficiency via homologous recombination to an about 40% higher level (unpublished data). All these results suggest that DNA repair and mutagenesis can be indirectly influenced by low-dose/dose-rate IR.