ABSTRACT
The aim of this work is to review the uses of laser microirradiation and ion microbeam techniques within the scope of radiobiological research. Laser microirradiation techniques can be used for many different purposes. In a specific condition, through the use of pulsed lasers, cell lysis can be produced for subsequent separation of different analytes. Microsurgery allows for the identification and isolation of tissue sections, single cells and subcellular components, using different types of lasers. The generation of different types of DNA damage, via this type of microirradiation, allows for the investigation of DNA dynamics. Ion microbeams are important tools in radiobiological research. There are only a limited number of facilities worldwide where radiobiological experiments can be performed. In the beginning, research was mostly focused on the bystander effect. Nowadays, with more sophisticated molecular and cellular biological techniques, ion microirradiation is used to unravel molecular processes in the field of radiobiology. These include DNA repair protein kinetics or chromatin modifications at the site of DNA damage. With the increasing relevance of charged particles in tumour therapy and new concepts on how to generate them, ion microbeam facilities are able to address unresolved questions concerning particle tumour therapy.
ABSTRACT
Telomeres solve the end-replication problem. Previous results suggested a relation between Yku70/80 and proteins Tel1 and Rad50 in telomere stabilization. Inactivation of any of these genes lead to a shortening of telomeres, while in ku70 tel1 or ku70 rad50 double mutants a drastic amplification of Y' elements was found. The biological significance of this observation is not clear. To further characterize Y′ amplification 25 strains and isolates of S. cerevisiae were analyzed. As expected, amplification was seen in yku70 tel1 and yku70 rad50 double mutants, but not in other strains. The extent of Y′ amplification was also tested to determine if excessive numbers of Y′ repeats appear. A variation in chromosome lengths within the population of cells has been found. Hybridisation study indicated that chromosomes only increase in length in these double mutants, but never get shorter. A high degree of variability was observed in single cell clones, in spite of their close relationship, indicating that alterations in subtelomeric regions are not stable but occur continuously in these mutants. Therefore, these genes are essential to chromosome stability.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this article was to review the factors that influence the aging, relationship of aging with the biological rhythms and new technologies as well as the main theories to explain the aging, and to analysis the causes of aging. The theories to explain the aging could be put into two groups: those based on a program that controlled the regression of the organism and those that postulated that the deterioration was due to mutations. It was concluded that aging was a multifactorial process. Genetic factors indicated the maximum longevity of the individual and environmental factors responsible for the real longevity of the individual. It would be necessary to guarantee from early age the conservation of a natural life rhythm.
ABSTRACT
The definition of a stochastic model that reflects the cell growth and the use of computer software could be very useful in modelling the cell behaviour due to the possibility to introduce alterations in biology parameters to obtain different growth patterns without the use of laboratory material. Human colon adenocarcinoma cells were cultured and a growth curve was made by daily count of the cell number. Pielou modelling was applied for stochastic simulation of deterministic growth, making stochastic the cell division, the death rates and the transition time between division and death, by using different probabilities. A greater growth was produced when the cell division rate increased, considering the density dependence constant. In contrast, a lower growth was observed when density dependence increased, with a constant value of cell division rate. This type of modelling could be useful to simulate the cell response under different environmental conditions.