A new method for isolation of high molecular weight DNA from eukaryotes is presented. This procedure allows preparation of DNA from a variety of tissues such as calf thymus or human placenta and from cells which were more difficult to lyse until now (e.g. Crypthecodinium cuhnii, a dinoflagellate). The DNA obtained in such a way has an average molecular weight of about 200 X 10(6) d and contains...

This study is part of an ongoing investigation of biomarkers in iron foundry workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic compounds. Foundry workers with the highest exposures had elevated levels of DNA adducts in their white blood cells in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to characterize the nature of DNA reactive chemicals in foundry air samples through incubating the foundry filter ...

Using a rapid purification scheme, we have isolated from calf thymus cells two single strand-specific DNA-binding proteins, with apparent molecular masses of 48 and 61 kDa. These proteins remained undetected in earlier studies on DNA-binding proteins from calf thymus because they are extremely sensitive to proteolytic breakdown occurring during purification. The proteins are immunologically and...

Over the years, DNA damage has been suggested to be directly linked to mutagenesis, carcinogenesis and ageing. There is ample evidence suggesting that considerable DNA damage may be induced by metabolites produced during normal or aberrant metabolic processes. Herein, we examine the chemical basis of cytotoxicity of some endogenous metabolites. Towards this goal, we study the DNA reactive activ...

The mechanism of nucleohistone degradation in calf thymus chromatin during autolysis of the latter involves a release of lysine-rich histone fractions, followed by degradation of the thus-exposed DNA portions; the latter portions are richest in adenine-thymine sequences. After this degradation process, residual nucleohistone fragments of low molecular weight (105) remain. Their chemical composi...