Study type: Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Magnetic field exposure stimulates transposition through the induction of DnaK/J synthesis med./bio.

Published in: Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2000; 270 (3): 745-748

Aim of study (acc. to editor)

To study the in vitro effects of magnetic fields on the transposition activity (activity of transposable elements) in Escherichia coli.

Background/further details

Transposable elements are found in all organisms and it is believed that they play an important role in evolution. For some organisms it has been shown that transposition activity can be induced by stressing factors (as heat shock and UV radiation).
Controls were performed with bacterial SURE strains that have been additionally transformed with different plasmids for the inductive over-expression of the heat shock proteins DnaK/DnaJ (HSP70/HSP40) and GroEL/ES. Since DnaK and GroEL are known to be involved in homologous recombination, they are possible participants in mediating the Tn5 transposition stimulation.The controls were incubated for 3 hours in a 37°C water bath.

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 50 Hz
Exposure duration: continuous, 1 h

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 50 Hz
Type
Exposure duration continuous, 1 h
Additional info vertical MF
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Setup Culture tubes were fixed in the center of the coil radius
Additional info another tube, which served as the control, fixed in another Helmholtz coil system with power supply turned off.
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
magnetic flux density 1.2 mT peak value measured unspecified -

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Investigated system:
Time of investigation:
  • after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

The data showed that under the conditions defined a magnetic field of 50 Hz stimulated the transposition activity of Tn5 and such stimulation was mediated through the induction of the heat shock protein DnaK/J synthesis.

Study character:

Study funded by

Related articles