Transcriptome-based biological dosimetry of gamma radiation in Arabidopsis using DNA damage response genes

Plants are used as representative reference biota for the biological assessment of environmental risks such as ionizing radiation due to their immobility. This study proposed a faster, more economical, and more effective method than conventional cytogenetic methods for the biological dosimetry of ionizing radiation in plants (phytodosimetry). We compared various dose-response curves for the radiation-induced DNA damage response (DDR) in Arabidopsis thaliana after relatively “low-dose” gamma irradiation (3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 Gy) below tens of Gy using comet (or single-cell gel electrophoresis), gamma-H2AX, and transcriptomic assays of seven DDR genes (AGO2, BRCA1, GRG, PARP1, RAD17, RAD51, and RPA1E) using quantitative real time PCR. The DDR signal from the comet assay was saturated at 6 Gy, while the gamma-H2AX signal increased up to 48 Gy, following a linear-quadratic dose-response model. The transcriptional changes in the seven DDR genes were fitted to linear or supra-linear quadratic equations with significant dose-dependency. The dose-dependent transcriptional changes were maintained similarly until 24 h after irradiation. The integrated transcriptional dose-response model of AGO2, BRCA1, GRG, and PARP1 was very similar to that of gamma-H2AX, while the transcriptional changes in the BRCA1, GRG, and PARP1 DDR genes revealed significant dependency on the dose-rate, ecotype, and radiation dose. These results suggest that the transcriptome-based dose-response model fitted to a quadratic equation could be used practically for phytodosimetry instead of conventional cytogenetic models, such as the comet and gamma-H2AX assays. The effects of dose-rate and ecotype on the transcriptional changes of DDR genes should also be considered to improve the transcriptome-based phytodosimetry model.