Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS21 Ultraviolet Radiation and the Aquatic Biota (Disciplinary Connections)

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2001, Time: 10:00:00 AM

Location: Galisteo

Meador, J, A, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, USA, jameador@aol.com

Jeffrey, W, H, University of West Florida, Pensacola, USA, wjeffrey@uwf.edu

Chiarello, S, , University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, USA, schiarello@yahoo.com

Mitchell, D, L, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, USA, dmitch@io.com

The Spectrum of DNA damage in the Environment Mirrors the Relative Proportion of Ultraviolet A and B Radiation.

Bacterioplankton and phytoplankton are differentially sensitive to UVA and UVB irradiation. The spectrum of DNA photodamage induced by sunlight is wavelength dependent with direct damage, such as pyrimidine dimers, resulting from UV-B radiation and indirect damage, such as 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8oxodG), resulting from UV-A. Considerable ozone depletion has been observed over Antarctica and parts of the Southern Ocean. Because ozone absorbs UVB the result of depletion is increased wavelengths causing direct DNA damage. Similarly, UVB is attenuated in the water column more than UVA. We hypothesize that the CPD:8oxodG ratio will change as a function of stratospheric ozone concentration and depth in the water column. Radioimmunoassays were used to quantify pyrimidine dimers and 8oxodG in purified DNA dosimeters and size-fractionated plankton from different depths at Palmer Station, Antarctica during the austral Spring and Summer of 2000 and along a latitudinal gradient off the west coast of South America. Using DNA dosimeters we show that the CPD:8oxodG ratio changes with depth in the water column as expected. DNA from biological samples exposed to different ozone and latitudinal conditions was also analyzed.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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