Scientific
serendipity: simple Giemsa staining can be used for measuring DNA damage
The international team of scientists discovered that
DNA comets can be effectively visualized and analyzed using the
widely-available Giemsa staining and a conventional bright-field microscope
equipped with a regular CCD camera and freely available software. This
modification of the conventional DNA comet assay is affordable for any
low budget research and will facilitate new applications of the comet assay in
biology and medicine.
DNA comet using Giemsa staining is a simple method and
has significant cost advantages over the fluorescent or silver staining
methods. The study demonstrated that the sensitivity of Giemsa staining for the
detection of DNA damage in human peripheral blood lymphocytes exposed to
various doses of X-rays was similar to the sensitivity normally achieved using
fluorescent SybrGreen I staining. The involvement of the Romanowsky-Giemsa
effect in the very high sensitivity of Giemsa staining of DNA comets was
confirmed in the experiments showing poor visualization of the comets stained
with azure B alone.
Additionally, this
inexpensive version of the comet assay is available all over the world, in any
research or genotoxicity testing laboratory and not requiring sophisticated
high-cost equipment. The cheap DNA comet Giemsa staining is convenient for
low-budget countries, which do not have the money to purchase relatively
expensive commercial kits. For poor villages of Africa, for example, this
method will be the only way to conduct biomedical research studies.
It is also possible to archive entire studies for
future re-examinations due to the stability of Giemsa staining.
Finally, the low cost and versatility of Giemsa stain
will facilitate new research in biomedicine.
The study was published in the International Journal
of Molecular Science, and is freely available as an Open Access publication.
DNA Comet Giemsa Staining for Conventional Bright-Field Microscopy
Osipov A, Arkhangelskaya E, Vinokurov A, Smetaninа N, Zhavoronkov A, Klokov D. International Journal of Molecular
Sciences. 2014; 15(4):6086-6095.
Contact:
Violetta
Akinshina, MD-cand.
International Center
for Development of Young Leaders in Science
Email: v_fialka@inbox.ru , violettaakinshina@gmail.com
Phone: 8-903-240-49-26
The International Center for Development of Young Leaders in Science
(ICDYLS), codenamed Alpha-Delta-Tau-Chi, a non-profit organization which helps
the new generation of biomedical professionals become great communicators,
project managers and leaders in their field of research. The aims of ICDYLS are
to provide young scientists with a training program in leadership,
entrepreneurship and science PR. The International Center for Development of
Young Leaders in Science is a creative platform designed to help develop young
professionals in science and foster teamwork and collaboration.
