The genotoxic and mutagenic effects of exposure of maize seedlings to a 50 Hz electric field should be investigated.
7-day-old maize seedlings were divided into 4 groups (n=10 each): exposure for 1) 1 day, 2) 3 days, 3) 5 days and and 4) control group. After exposure, leaves were dried and examined (remark EMF-portal: it is not clear after how many days the control group was investigated).
Genetical polymorphism was used beside enzyme or protein polymorphism as an indicator for mutations, that means that the respective gene product could be distinguished due to genetical polymorphism.
| Exposure | Parameters |
|---|---|
|
Exposure 1:
50 Hz
Exposure duration:
continuous for 1, 3 or 5 days
|
|
| Frequency | 50 Hz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | continuous for 1, 3 or 5 days |
| Exposure source |
|
|---|---|
| Chamber | earthenware pot (60 cm diameter) |
| Setup | two parallel aluminum electrodes (60 Π50 Π2 cm each) were fixed horizontally above and below seedlings |
| Measurand | Value | Type | Method | Mass | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electric field strength | 6 kV/m | - | - | - | - |
SDS-PAGE analysis revealed a polymorphism in proteins of 84.62% between the 4 groups .
The polymorphism of leucyl aminopeptidase, peroxidase and catalase isozymes was 100% between the 4 groups, whereas for esterase, the value was 83.33%.
In the amino acid analysis, the share of each group in the total content of free amino acids was between 22.65% and 28.09%.
RAPD-PCR revealed that 78 amplified DNA products had a polymorphism value of 95.08%.
In the comet assay, the highest degree of DNA damage was found in group 3 (5 days of exposure).
The authors conclude that exposure of maize seedlings to a 50 Hz electric field might have genotoxic and mutagenic effects.
(remark EMF-portal: no significance was given for any results)
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