A Comparation Study Using Comet Assay to Detect DNA Damages in Different Plant Species
利用不同植物进行DNA损伤彗星实验的方法比较

The comet assay using plant nuclei isolated from different plant species was proved to be a promising tool for genotoxicity assay. The plant nuclei isolated from the roots or the leaves of Vicia faba,Spinacia oleracea,Allium cepa,Phaseolus vulgaris,Allium sativum,and Oryza sativa were used in the comet assay to detect DNA damage induced by H2O2. After electrophoresis the nuclei from plants treated with H2O2 showed a large number of DNA strand breaks and appeared as clear comets whereas the control nuclei appeared nearly circular or with only slight comet tails. The comet assay using plant materials could quantify DNA damages in genotoxicity study of chemicals and chemical mixtures. The comet assay has been successful for Vicia faba,Spinacia oleracea,Allium cepa,Phaseolus vulgaris and Allium sativum,but had some problems for Oryza sativa. The use of comet assay has some limitations so a further study should be done to improve the method. In conclusion it was proved that the comet assay using plant nuclei is a fast,reliable,and inexpensive test as sensitive as the comet assay using animal cells to detect DNA strand breaks in some plants.