• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.71-77
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• 1997

The single cell gel electrophoressis(SCGE) assay, also known as the comet assay, is a rapid, simple, visual and sensitive technique for measuring and analysing DNA breakage in mammalian cells. The SCGE or comet assay is a promising test for the detection of DNA damage and repair in individnal cells. It has widespread potential applications in DNA damage and repair studies, genotoxicity testing and biomonitoring. In this microgel electrophoresis technique, cells are embedded in agarose gel on microscope slides, iysed and electrophoresed under alkaline conditions. Cells with increased DNA damage display increased migration of DNA from the nucleus towards the anode. The length of DNA migration indicates the amount of DNA breakage in the cell. The comet assay is also capable of identifying apoptotic cells which contain highly fragmented DNA. Here we review the development of the SCGE assay, existing protocols for the detection and analysis of comets, the relevant underlying principles determining the behaviour of DNA and the potential applications of the technique.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.346-351
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• 2003

Single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) was used to detect DNA single strand break in blood cells from several marine fish species. Three fish species were collected from Georgia coastal area. Mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus showed higher DNA damage than sea bass, Lateolabrax japonicus and trout, Oncorhynchus masou masou under the same experimental conditions. Mummichogs had more alkaline-labile sites on their DNA than other fish species. The comet assay with mummichog blood cells at pH 12.5 showed a dose-response curve with the increasing concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. While the isolated leucocytes showed no increase of DNA damage after in vitro exposure to 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (MNQ), erythrocytes showed dose-dependent DNA damage. These results indicate that the comet assay can be applied successfully as a bioassay using erythrocyte for environmental monitoring.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.1.1-1.8
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• 2010

Microdevices have been used as effective experimental tools for the rapid and multiplexed analysis of individual cells in single-cell assays. Technological advances for miniaturizing such systems and the optimization of delicate controls in micron-sized space homing cells have motivated many researchers from diverse fields (e.g., cancer research, stem cell research, therapeutic agent development, etc.) to employ microtools in their scientific research. Microtools allow high-throughput, multiplexed analysis of single cells, and they are not limited by the lack of large samples. These characteristics may significantly benefit the study of immune cells, where the number of cells available for testing is usually limited. In this review, I present an overview of several microtools that are currently available for single-cell analyses in two popular formats: microarrays and microfluidic microdevices. Then, I discuss the potential to study human immunology on the single-cell level, and I highlight several recent examples of immunoassays performed with single-cell microdevice assays. Finally, I discuss the outlook for the development of optimized assay platforms to study human immune cells. The development and application of microdevices for studies on single immune cells presents novel opportunities for the qualitative and quantitative characterization of immune cells and may lead to a comprehensive understanding of fundamental aspects of human immunology.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2005

Perchloroethylene (tetrachloroethylene, PCE), a dry cleaning and degreasing solvent, can enter ground-water through accidental leak or spills. PCE can be degraded to trichloroethylene (TCE), 1, 1-dichloroethylene (DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) as potential bio-product. These compounds have been reported that they can cause clinical diseases and cytotoxicity. However, only a little genotoxic information of these compounds has been known. In this study, we investigated DNA single strand breaks of PCE, TCE, DCE and VC by single cell gel electrophoresis assay, (comet assay) which is a sensitive, reliable and rapid method for DNA single strand breaks with mouse lymphoma L5178Y cells. From these results, $37.5\;{\mu}g/ml$ of PCE, $189\;{\mu}g/ml$ of TCE and $56.4\;{\mu}g/ml$ of DCE were revealed significant DNA damages in the absence of S-9 metabolic activation system meaning direct-acting mutagen. And in the presence of S-9 metabolic activation system, $41.5\;{\mu}g/ml$ of PCE, $328.7\;{\mu}g/ml$ of TCE and $949\;{\mu}g/ml$ of DCE were induced significant DNA damage. In the case of VC, it was revealed a significant DNA damage in the presence of S-9 metabolic activation system. Therefore, we suggest that chloroethylene compounds (PCE, TCE, DCE and VC) may be induced the DNA damage in a mammalian cell.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.128-134
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• 2001

Single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay, also called comet assay, is a rapid and sensitive method to detect DNA damage in single cell level. To evaluate the DNA damage of lymphocytes of pesticides sprayers, SCGE assay was carried out for 50 pesticides sprayer and 58 control subjects. They were interviewed with structured questionnaire to get the information about the kinds and amount of pesticide. Insecticides and fungicides were predominant among pesticides. Major components of pesticides were organophosphorus, organosulfate, cartap, carbamates, and triazole. Sprayed pesticides were classified into two groups. Group I included organophosphorus, organoarsenic, organotin, tetrazine, triazole and gramoxone, which were known to cause DNA damages. Group II pesticide were carbamates, surfactants, organosulfates, etc., which were not found as DNA damaging agents in scientific documents. Olive tail moments of 100 lymphocytes were measured by KOMET 3.1 program for each person. The means of tail moments were compared between farmers exposed to pesticides and control subjects. Farmers showed higher tail moments than control subjects (2.07$\pm$1.40 vs 1.53$\pm$0.77, p<0.05). The means of tail moments also were compared among group I sprayers (n=36), group II sprayers (n=24) and, control subject, and the means or tail moments were 3.4s$\pm$3.2o, 2.66$\pm$2.20 and 1.53$\pm$0.77 respectively. The difference between means of group I sprayers and controls was statistically significant (p<0.05). In conclusion, this study showed higher DNA damage in farmers exposed to pesticides than control subjects, and comet assay could be useful as a biological monitoring method of genotoxic pesticides for farmers.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2001

Recently, single cell gel electrophoresis, also known as comet assay, is widely used for the detection and measurement of DNA strand breaks in vitro and in vivo in many toxicological fields such as radiation exposure, human monitoring and toxicity evaluation. As well defined, comet assay is a sensitive, rapid and visual method for the detection of DNA strand breaks in individual cells. Briefly, a small number of damaged cells suspended in a thin agarose gel on a microscope slide were lysed, unwinded, electrophoresed, and stained with a fluorescent DNA binding dye. The electric current pulled the charged DNA from the nucleus such that relaxed and broken DNA fragments migrated further. The resulting images which were subsequently named for their appearance as comets, were measured to determine the extent of DNA damages. However, some variations could be occurred in procedures, laboratories's conditions and kind of cells used. Hence, to overcome and to harmonize these matters in comet assay, International Workshop on Genotoxicity Test Procedure (IWGTP) was held with several topics including comet assay at Washington D.C. on March, 1999. In spite of some consensus in procedures and conditions in IWGTP, there are some problems still remained to be solved. In this respect, we attempted to set the practical optimal conditions in the experimental procedures such as lysis, unwinding, electrophoresis and neutralization conditions and so on. First of all, we determined optimal lysis and unwinding time by using 150 $\mu$M methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) which is usually used concentration. And then, we determined optimal positive control concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and MMS in the presence and absence of S9 metabolic activation system, respectively.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2004

Three synthetic chemicals, benzoyl chloride, 2-propyn-l-ol, and 2-phenoxy ethanol were selected for genotoxicity testing, based on production quantity and available genotoxic data. In our previous report, benzoyl chloride induced chromosomal aberrations in Chinese hamster lung (CHL) fibroblast in vitro with and without metabolic activation, while 2-propyn-l-ol and 2-phenoxy ethanol induced only with metabolic activation. To compare the genotoxicity of chromosome aberration assay, the single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay subjected using CHL cells. As a result, statistically significant differences of tail moment values of benzoyl chloride, 2-propyn-1-ol, and 2-phenoxy ethanol were observed compared with control values on almost all concentrations with S9 or without S9 metabolic activation system. This results suggest that genotoxic results of the comet assay and the chromosome aberration assay show correlationship of genotoxicity in the CHL fibroblast. In summary, the positive result of chromosome aberration of benzoyl chloride, 2-propyn-l-ol, and 2-phenoxy ethanol was also induced DNA damages in comet assay with same cell line. Consequently, comet assay will be useful and more accurate tool to detect and to confirm the genotoxicity especially DNA damages in CHL fibroblast.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Biology Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.145-153
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• 2002

유해 화학 물질류에 의해 오염된 해양 환경 시료의 환경독성 수준을 평가하기 위하여 다양한 화학물질에 대해 민감성이 우수한 생물학적 독성평가기법을 개발 하고자하였다. 지속성 유기오염 물질 중 다환 방향 족 탄화수소(PAHs)를 처리한 광어(Conger myriaster)와 개조개(Saxidomus pupurata)의 DNA 손상정도를 single cell gel electrophoresis assay(comet assay)를 통해 분석하였다. PAHs 중 광양만에서 높은 농도로 검출되는 benzo(a)pyrene을 농도별(0, 10, 50, 100 ppb)로 처리한 후 2일과 4일에 광어의 혈액세포와 개조개의 근육세포를 채취해 comet assay를 실시하였다. benso(a)pyrene에 대한 DNA 손상정도를 처리된 농도와 생물종에 따라 다르게 나타났는데 광어의 혈액세포는 2일에 가장 DNA 손상정도가 높았고, 4일에는 회복되는 경향을 나타냈다. 개조개의 근육세포는 시간이 지나면서 DNA 손상정도가 증가하는 경향을 보였다. 이와 같은 결과는 comet assay 기법이 유해 화학물질로 오염된 해양생물 종의 환경독성을 검색하는 유용한 수단이 될 수 있음을 보여준다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.276-276
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• 2013

Here we report an integrated microdevice consisting of an efficient passive mixer, a magnetic separation chamber, and a capillary electrophoretic microchannel in which DNA barcode assay, target pathogen separation, and barcode DNA capillary electrophoretic analysis were performed sequentially within 30 min for multiplex pathogen detection at the single-cell level. The intestine-shaped serpentine 3D micromixer provides a high mixing rate to generate magnetic particle-pathogenic bacteria-DNA barcode labelled AuNP complexes quantitatively. After magnetic separation and purification of those complexes, the barcode DNA strands were released and analyzed by the microfluidic capillary electrophoresis within 5 min. The size of the barcode DNA strand was controlled depending on the target bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella typhimurium), and the different elution time of the barcode DNA peak in the electropherogram allows us to recognize the target pathogen with ease in the monoplex as well as in the multiplex analysis. In addition, the quantity of the DNA barcode strand (~104) per AuNP is enough to be observed in the laser-induced confocal fluorescence detector, thereby making single-cell analysis possible. This novel integrated microdevice enables us to perform rapid, sensitive, and multiplex pathogen detection with sample-in-answer-out capability to be applied for biosafety testing, environmental screening, and clinical trials.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.225-232
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• 2004

The suitability of the single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay as a test for the monitoring of genotoxicity of aquatic environment was evaluated. The SCGE assay was employed to detect DNA damage induced in clam (Spisula sachalinensis) exposed to a direct mutagen, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) or an indirect mutagen, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). The cells of gill and digestive glands were isolated from clam by homogenization, which was the optimized cell dissociation method, and the level of DNA damage was assessed and expressed as mean tail length. In the gill cells, significant dose- and time-dependent increase was observed in the mean tail length at the concentration from 0.01 to 0.5 ppm MNNG for 96 h. The linear correlation between relative dam-age index (RDI) values was suggested to provide criteria of genotoxicity monitoring for direct acting mutagen. The dose- and time-dependent responses of the digestive glands cells were less sensitive than those of the gill cells. In contrast, the genotoxic response resulting from the exposure of 0.01～1.0 ppm B[a]P to clam revealed a higher sensitivity in the digestive glands cells than the gill cells. The comparison between the time profiles of genotoxic responses in clam and carp, the latter had been obtained in our previous study, indicated that the metabolism of genotoxic compounds in the two aquatic organisms were quite different each other. We conclude that the SCGE assay has the potential as a screening test for routine genotoxicity monitoring of aquatic organisms because of its higher sensitivity and simplicity.