AP-PCR fingerprinting for detection of genetic damage caused by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Exposure of organisms to genotoxic chemicals results in the formation of stable, covalently bound adducts between the chemical (or one of its metabolites) and the DNA; these adducts may cause mutations and cytogenetic changes. The primary effects of such exposure (i.e. adduct formation) and subsequent effects on the DNA (cytogenetic damage, mutation) may be monitored using a number of assays of varying senstivity and specificity. Recent developments in molecular biology offer new possibilities for detecting DNA damage. We examined whether DNA fingerprinting by arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) can reveal differences in the DNA fingerprints of rats and shore crabs exposed to benzo[a]pyrene in the laboratory and of crabs from control and from polluted areas. The results indicate that differences between control and exposed animals were detectable and that DNA fingerprinting by AP-PCR offers a useful alternative biomarker assay for the detection of the genotoxic effects of environmental pollutants.