Scientists at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have created luminescent bacteria to search for mutagens and carcinogens in water; when they are detected, the microorganism begins to glow brightly, MIPT told socialbites.ca.
Pollution of natural environments, including water, is one of the most pressing environmental problems. In addition to chemical analysis, bioassays based on the reactions of living organisms are widely used to monitor pollutants. Sensitive species respond quickly to hazardous pollutants and allow their detection at no extra cost.
For this purpose, the MIPT experts proposed using E. coli, which they had made luminous by adding genes from Photorhabdus luminescens, a bacterium that parasitizes insects. The resulting E. coli are sensitive to the effects of alkylating agents (substances that bind to DNA). They damage the genome and cause mutations that can lead to cancer.
Using new luminescent biosensors, the scientists assessed the content of methyl methanesulfonate (one of the mutagens used in the study) in small crustaceans from the order Amphipods. The scientists used three groups of crustaceans with different concentrations of mutagen. As the dose of the toxicant increased, the bacteria glowed brighter, signaling more genomic damage.
“Two important conclusions emerge from our work. First, analysis of the toxicity of tissues of aquatic organisms (in particular, amphipods) will make it possible to detect contamination of a reservoir before the concentration of a toxic substance in the water becomes critical. This is extremely important from an environmental point of view. Secondly, even undetectable concentrations of alkylating substances can accumulate in the tissues of crustaceans and potentially trigger mutagenesis both in them and in other participants in the food chain of aquatic ecosystems,” Ulyana Novoyatlova, an employee of the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics at MIPT, told Gazeta. Ru.
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Source: Gazeta
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