SIMPLE AND COMPLEX DOUBLE-STRAND BREAKS INDUCED BY ELECTRONS

Biophysical modelling of DNA damage based on Monte Carlo simulation of charged particle tracks allows to describe radiation induced double-s trand breaks (dsb) in a quantitative and qualitative way. Experimental and calculated data suggest that in the electron energy range from 50 eV to 1MeV dsb can be grouped in simple and complex dsb. Complex dsb are mainly produced by low energy electrons with initial energies betw een similar to 200 and similar to 500eV, whereas simple dsb are prefer entially induced by energy transfers <200eV, which produce at least tw o ionizations.