Interaction Potency of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes with DNAs: A Novel Assay for Assessment of Hazard Risk.

Chunhe Yao,Da Chen,Jianfu Ding,Yuning Li,Cristina Carlisi,Yong-Lai Feng,Aristides Docoslis

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0167796

Abstract

Increasing use of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) necessitates a novel method for hazard risk assessment. In this work, we investigated the interaction of several types of commercial SWCNTs with single-stranded (ss) and double-stranded (ds) DNA oligonucleotides (20-mer and 20 bp). Based on the results achieved, we proposed a novel assay that employed the DNA interaction potency to assess the hazard risk of SWCNTs. It was found that SWCNTs in different sizes or different batches of the same product number of SWCNTs showed dramatically different potency of interaction with DNAs. In addition, the same SWCNTs also exerted strikingly different interaction potency with ss- versus ds- DNAs. The interaction rates of SWCNTs with DNAs were investigated, which could be utilized as the indicator of potential hazard for acute exposure. Compared to solid SWCNTs, the SWCNTs dispersed in liquid medium (2% sodium cholate solution) exhibited dramatically different interaction potency with DNAs. This indicates that the exposure medium may greatly influence the subsequent toxicity and hazard risk produced by SWCNTs. Based on the findings of dose-dependences and time-dependences from the interactions between SWCNTs and DNAs, a new chemistry based assay for hazard risk assessment of nanomaterials including SWCNTs has been presented.

Highlights

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are one-dimensional nanomaterials, which take the form of a single graphene sheet rolled into a tube with nanometer-sized diameters [1,2]
We reported a new approach assessing the genotoxic effect of SWCNTs by addressing the interaction potency and rates of SWCNTs with DNA oligonucleotides, and this new developed assay could be applied to assessment of various other nanomaterial and nanocomposites
The results showed that the intensity of the ssDNA peak at 19.5 min decreased when the amount of SWCNTs was increased (Fig 1; SWCNT3 as an example)

Summary

Introduction

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are one-dimensional nanomaterials, which take the form of a single graphene sheet rolled into a tube with nanometer-sized diameters [1,2]. They possess remarkable thermal properties, photo-stability, large surface area to volume ratio, tensile strength, and electrical properties. Owing to these unique properties, they have been used in a variety of consumer and industrial products, such as electronics, protective. The hazards of SWCNTs to human health and environmental quality require careful investigations

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Results

Conclusion