Name: evaluating in vitro dna damage using comet assay
Uploaded: 2017-10-11T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Evaluating In Vitro DNA Damage Using Comet Assay at JoVE.com

This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, NCI, and CCR. All authors received Intramural Research Grant from NIH, NCI, and CCR.

1. Prepare Reagents
<ol>
	<li>1x PBS
	<ol>
		<li>Dilute 100 mL 10x PBS with 900 mL dH2O and adjust the pH to 7.4 using a pH meter. Store at room temperature.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Lysis solution (LS)
	<ol>
		<li>Prepare 2.5 M NaCl, 100 mM disodium EDTA, 10 mM Tris base, and 200 mM NaOH in 900 mL dH2O; it commonly takes about 20 min to allow the mixture to fully dissolve. Adjust the pH to 10 using a pH meter. Add 1% sodium lauryl sarcosinate and 1% Triton X-100, ...

<ol>
	<li>Ostling, O., Johanson, K. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Microelectrophoretic+study+of+radiation-induced+DNA+damages+in+individual+mammalian+cells.">Microelectrophoretic study of radiation-induced DNA damages in individual mammalian cells.</a> Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 123 (1), 291-298 (1984).</li><li>Singh, N. P., McCoy, M. T., Tice, R. R., Schneider, E. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+simple+technique+for+quantitation+of+low+levels+of+DNA+damage+in+individual+cells.">A simple technique for quantitation of low levels of DNA damage in individual cells.</a> Exp Cell Res. 175 (1), 184-191 (1988).</li><li>Tice, R. R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Single+cell+gel/comet+assay:+guidelines+for+in+vitro+and+in+vivo+genetic+toxicology+testing.">Single cell gel/comet assay: guidelines for in vitro and in vivo genetic toxicology testing.</a> Environ Mol Mutagen. 35 (3), 206-221 (2000).</li><li>Shah, A. J., Lakkad, B. C., Rao, M. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genotoxicity+in+lead+treated+human+lymphocytes+evaluated+by+micronucleus+and+comet+assays.">Genotoxicity in lead treated human lymphocytes evaluated by micronucleus and comet assays.</a> Indian J Exp Biol. 54 (8), 502-508 (2016).</li><li>Azqueta, A., Collins, A. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+essential+comet+assay:+a+comprehensive+guide+to+measuring+DNA+damage+and+repair.">The essential comet assay: a comprehensive guide to measuring DNA damage and repair.</a> Arch Toxicol. 87 (6), 949-968 (2013).</li><li>Goldstein, M., Kastan, M. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+DNA+damage+response:+implications+for+tumor+responses+to+radiation+and+chemotherapy.">The DNA damage response: implications for tumor responses to radiation and chemotherapy.</a> Annu Rev Med. 66, 129-143 (2015).</li><li>Gavande, N. S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=DNA+repair+targeted+therapy:+The+past+or+future+of+cancer+treatment?.">DNA repair targeted therapy: The past or future of cancer treatment?.</a> Pharmacol Ther. 160, 65-83 (2016).</li><li>Torgovnick, A., Schumacher, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=DNA+repair+mechanisms+in+cancer+development+and+therapy.">DNA repair mechanisms in cancer development and therapy.</a> Front Genet. 6, 157 (2015).</li><li>Weston, V. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+PARP+inhibitor+olaparib+induces+significant+killing+of+ATM-deficient+lymphoid+tumor+cells+in+vitro+and+in+vivo.">The PARP inhibitor olaparib induces significant killing of ATM-deficient lymphoid tumor cells in vitro and in vivo.</a> Blood. 116 (22), 4578-4587 (2010).</li><li>Brown, J. S., O'Carrigan, B., Jackson, S. P., Yap, T. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Targeting+DNA+Repair+in+Cancer:+Beyond+PARP+Inhibitors.">Targeting DNA Repair in Cancer: Beyond PARP Inhibitors.</a> Cancer Discov. 7 (1), 20-37 (2017).</li><li>Lu, Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chemosensitivity+of+IDH1-Mutated+Gliomas+Due+to+an+Impairment+in+PARP1-Mediated+DNA+Repair.">Chemosensitivity of IDH1-Mutated Gliomas Due to an Impairment in PARP1-Mediated DNA Repair.</a> Cancer Res. 77 (7), 1709-1718 (2017).</li><li>Konca, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+cross-platform+public+domain+PC+image-analysis+program+for+the+comet+assay.">A cross-platform public domain PC image-analysis program for the comet assay.</a> Mutat Res. 534 (1-2), 15-20 (2003).</li><li>Valverde, M., Rojas, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Environmental+and+occupational+biomonitoring+using+the+Comet+assay.">Environmental and occupational biomonitoring using the Comet assay.</a> Mutat Res. 681 (1), 93-109 (2009).</li><li>Collins, A. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+comet+assay+for+DNA+damage+and+repair:+principles,+applications,+and+limitations.">The comet assay for DNA damage and repair: principles, applications, and limitations.</a> Mol Biotechnol. 26 (3), 249-261 (2004).</li><li>Karbaschi, M., Cooke, M. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Novel+method+for+the+high-throughput+processing+of+slides+for+the+comet+assay.">Novel method for the high-throughput processing of slides for the comet assay.</a> Sci Rep. 4, 7200 (2014).</li></ol>

The comet assay is an efficient tool to measure single and double-strand DNA breaks at the cellular level. The assay has been widely applied as a "golden standard" in studies regarding genotoxicity and biomonitoring13, ranging from base lesions, DNA crosslinks, drug development, and alkali sensitive sites. In the present study, we showed two distinct step-by-step protocols for alkaline and neutral comet assays, respectively. Combining single cell electrophoresis, fluorescent microscopy, and image ...

The comet assay was first developed by Ostling and Johanson in 1984 by demonstrating the migration of DNA fragments from nuclei under a neutral condition1. The technique was later developed by Singh et al., showing that an alkaline condition substantially increased the specificity and reproducibility of the assay2. Since then, the neutral comet assay is mostly used to detect double-stranded DNA breaks, whereas the alkaline comet assay is more sensitive for smaller amounts of DNA damage, including single and double strand DNA breaks, alkali-labile sites, DNA-DNA or DNA-protein cross-linking, and DNA single-strand breaks associated with incomplete excision repair sites3,4. Both assays allow visualization of fragmented DNA, and provide a straightforward way to quantitatively evaluate DNA damage. The comet assay is regarded as a sensitive method for in vitro and in vivo genetic toxicological studies and is applicable to different research areas, such as early drug-candidate selection, environmental monitoring, human biomonitoring, and fundamental research in DNA damage and repair5. 
The principle of the assay is that under an electric field, fragmented DNA migrates out of the nucleoid body (also known as the "comet head") and forms a DNA stain in the agarose gel (also known as the "comet tail"). With nucleotide staining, the extent of DNA damage can be quantified by analyzing "comets" formed by this single cell electrophoresis. Calculation of the tail moment can further help to compare DNA damage among different experimental groups. Compared with traditional methods of DNA damage detection, the comet assay is direct, sensitive, inexpensive, and relatively simple.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapies are common strategies for cancer treatment by generating single strand and double strand DNA breaks in chromosomes6. The recent advancement in DNA repair inhibitors allows a more effective genotoxic effect by combination chemotherapy, and therefore, potentially reduces systemic side effects such as anemia, infection, and bone marrow suppression7,8. In this study, we showed the investigation of a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, olaparib (Ola)9. PARP is an abundant nuclear protein and is responsible for DNA base excision repair by forming a poly (ADP-ribose) polymer10. Temozolomide (TMZ) is an orally available alkylating agent and has been widely used for glioma patient treatment. By using the comet assay to quantify DNA damage, we demonstrate that combining olaparib with temozolomide profoundly enhances the DNA damage in glioma cells, which suggests olaparib/temozolomide combination therapy is an effective strategy to treat glioma, as compared with temozolomide alone11.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="603">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Reagents</td>
			<td style="width:101px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="24">
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;width:216px;">10x PBS(Ca++, Mg++ free)</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">TEKnova</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">P0196</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">NaCl</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">S5886</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">EDTA</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">TEKnova</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">E0308</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Trizma base</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">T1503</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">NaOH</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">72068</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Sodium lauryl sarcosinate</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">L7414</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Triton X-100</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">93443</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Sodium acetate</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">32318</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Glacial acetic acid</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">695092</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Ammonium acetate</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A1542</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">SYBR Green</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">S33102</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:216px;">Low melting point agarose</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">16520</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Agarose</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">16500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">95% ethanol</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">WARNER-GRAHAM</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">#64-17-5</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Trypsin</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">GIBICO</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">25300-054</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Name</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td>Comments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Consumables</td>
			<td style="width:101px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:216px;">Glass tissue slides</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">ELECTRON MICROSCOPY SCIENCES</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">63422-11</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Kimwipes</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">KIMberly-Clark</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">1.5 mL Microcentrifuge Tubes</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">DENVILLE</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Pipette Tips</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">SHARP</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Name</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td>Comments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Equipments</td>
			<td style="width:101px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Microwave</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Avanti</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Waterbath</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">PRECISION</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Horizontal electrophoresis chamber</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">TREVIGEN</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Cometassay ES II</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Power supply</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Bio-Rad</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Incubator</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Quincy Lab</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Model 12-140E</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Fluorescent microscope</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Zeiss</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">LSM700</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Micropipettor</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">Eppendorf</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

evaluating in vitro dna damage using comet assay

DNA damage is a common phenomenon for each cell during its lifespan, and is defined as an alteration of the chemical structure of genomic DNA. Cancer therapies, such as radio- and chemotherapy, introduce enormous amount of additional DNA damage, leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis to limit cancer progression. Quantitative assessment of DNA damage during experimental cancer therapy is a key step to justify the effectiveness of a genotoxic agent. In this study, we focus on a single cell electrophoresis assay, also known as the comet assay, which can quantify single and double-strand DNA breaks in vitro. The comet assay is a DNA damage quantification method that is efficient and easy to perform, and has low time/budget demands and high reproducibility. Here, we highlight the utility of the comet assay for a preclinical study by evaluating the genotoxic effect of olaparib/temozolomide combination therapy to U251 glioma cells.

The present protocol describes a step-by-step workflow for the comet assay execution and data analysis (Figure 1). Results from the alkaline and neutral comet assays showed that the comet tail of doxorubicin-treated U251 cells (1 &#181;M, 20 h) was longer and had higher DNA intensity, suggesting a substantial accumulation of fragmented DNA due to chemotherapy (Figure 2).
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Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Evaluating In Vitro DNA Damage Using Comet Assay at JoVE.com

Evaluating In Vitro DNA Damage Using Comet Assay

The comet assay is an efficient method to detect DNA damage including single and double-stranded DNA breaks. We describe alkaline and neutral comet assays to measure DNA damage in cancer cells to evaluate the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy.

Evaluating In Vitro DNA Damage Using Comet Assay

DNA damage is a common phenomenon for each cell during its lifespan, and is defined as an alteration of the chemical structure of genomic DNA. Cancer ...

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