Studies of the biological effects of low-level and below-background radiation are important in understanding the potential effects of radiation exposure in humans. To study this issue we exposed the nematode to average background and below-background radiation levels. Two experiments were carried-out in the underground radiation biology laboratory at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico USA. The first experiment used naïve nematodes with data collected within 1 week of being placed underground. The second experiment used worms that were incubated for 8 months underground at below background radiation levels. Nematode eggs were placed in two incubators, one at low radiation (ca.15.6 nGy/hr) and one supplemented with 2 kg of natural KCl (ca. 67.4 nGy/hr). Phenotypic variables measured were: (1) egg hatching success (2) body size from larval development to adulthood, (3) developmental time from egg to egg laying adult, and (4) egg laying rate of young adult worms. Transcriptome analysis was performed on the first experiment on 72 h old adult worms. Within 72 h of being underground, there was a trend of increased egg-laying rate in the below-background radiation treatment. This trend became statistically significant in the group of worms exposed to below-background radiation for 8 months. Worms raised for 8 months in these shielded conditions also had significantly faster growth rates during larval development. Transcriptome analyses of 72-h old naïve nematode RNA showed significant differential expression of genes coding for sperm-related proteins and collagen production. In the below-background radiation group, the genes for major sperm protein (, 42% of total genes) and sperm-related proteins (7.5%) represented 49.5% of the total genes significantly up-regulated, while the majority of down-regulated genes were collagen (, 37%) or cuticle-related (28%) genes. RT-qPCR analysis of target genes confirmed transcriptomic data. These results demonstrate that exposure to below-background radiation rapidly induces phenotypic and transcriptomic changes in within 72 h of being brought underground.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7596186 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.581796 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Transcriptome software results show significant variation among different commercial pipelines.
BMC Genomics
November 2023
Biology Department and Molecular Biology Program, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA.
Background: We have been documenting the biological responses to low levels of radiation (natural background) and very low level radiation (below background), and thus these studies are testing mild external stimuli to which we would expect relatively mild biological responses. We recently published a transcriptome software comparison study based on RNA-Seqs from a below background radiation treatment of two model organisms, E. coli and C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStuck in a corner: Anthropogenic noise threatens narwhals in their once pristine Arctic habitat.
Sci Adv
July 2023
Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Strandgade 91,2, DK-1401 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
Niche-conservative species are especially susceptible to changes in their environment, and detecting the negative effects of new stressors in their habitats is vital for safeguarding of these species. In the Arctic, human disturbance including marine traffic and exploration of resources is increasing rapidly due to climate change-induced reduction of sea ice. Here, we show that the narwhal, , is extremely sensitive to human-made noise.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTranscriptome analysis of well-differentiated laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cells in below-background environment.
Ann Transl Med
August 2022
Deep Underground Space Medical Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Background: Preliminary research has shown an inhibited growth rate of well-differentiated laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cells (FD-LSC-1) in below-background radiation (BBR), but how the cells respond to this environmental stress and the potential mechanisms are yet unknown. The current study aimed to reveal the molecular differences in cells grown under BBR conditions and normal radiation at the transcriptional level.
Methods: The expression profiles between FD-LSC-1 cells grown in a deep underground laboratory and above ground laboratory collected on day 4 were investigated by whole-transcriptome analysis, including messenger RNAs (mRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs).
A transcriptome software comparison for the analyses of treatments expected to give subtle gene expression responses.
BMC Genomics
June 2022
Biology Department and Molecular Biology Program, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA.
Background: In this comparative study we evaluate the performance of four software tools: DNAstar-D (DESeq2), DNAstar-E (edgeR), CLC Genomics and Partek Flow for identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using a transcriptome of E. coli. The RNA-seq data are from the effect of below-background radiation 5.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnthropogenic activities are increasing in the Arctic, posing a threat to niche-conservative species with high seasonal site fidelity, such as the narwhal . In this controlled sound exposure study, six narwhals were live-captured and instrumented with animal-borne tags providing movement and behavioural data, and exposed to concurrent ship noise and airgun pulses. All narwhals reacted to sound exposure with reduced buzzing rates, where the response was dependent on the magnitude of exposure defined as 1/distance to ship.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!