USE OF DNA-FINGERPRINTING TO DETECT GENOTOXIC EFFECTS

The effects of environmental pollutants on organisms may be monitored in a number of ways and at different levels. In the case of genotoxic chemicals, the effects on the DNA may be monitored using a number of b iomarker assays capable of detecting phenotypic changes as a result of mutation, gross chromosomal abnormalities, unscheduled DNA synthesis, DNA adducts (e.g., by P-32 postlabeling or by ELISA) and DNA strand b reaks (e.g., by the alkaline unwinding assay or the comet assay); the sensitivity and specificity of these assays are variable. Recent devel opments in molecular biology such as DNA fingerprinting and gene ampli fication by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) offer new possibilitie s for detecting DNA damage. In this laboratory, whether an alternative biomarker assay (using DNA fingerprinting by arbitrarily primed PCR) can reveal differences in the DNA fingerprints of individuals from con trol and polluted areas was investigated. The results indicate that DN A fingerprinting by arbitrarily primed PCR offers a useful alternative biomarker assay for detection of the genotoxic effects of environment al pollutants. (C) 1998 Academic Press