# GENETIC EFFECTS OF IONIZING RADIATION

> **NIH NIH R01** · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 1989 · $150,378

## Abstract

The objective of this research is to investigate the mechanisms by which
ionizing radiaton-induced DNA damage results in mutations.  We propose two
general approaches.  The first is to continue the work begun during the
last grant period in which organic synthesis and recombinant DNA techniques
were being used to construct viral and plasmid DNA molecules that contain,
at specific genome sites, the known products of ionizing radiation damage
(initially cis-5,6-dihydroxy-6-hydrothymine, thymine glycol).  These
structurally altered genomes will be introduced to the intracellular
enivronment, where the radiation-induced lesions may cause mutation.
Conceivably this will occur through misreplication or faulty repair of the
structrually altered DNA.  Finally, we shall characterize quantitatively
and qualitatively the mutagenic changes induced in daughter DNA molecules,
and attempt to establish formal rules that relate the structure of a lesion
with its bioligical effects.  Our second proposed approach to assessing the
gentic effects of ionizing radiation will be to determine the pattern of
mutation, or mutational spectrum, induced by radiation in a plasmid-based
mutation assay we developed during the previous grant period.  The
noteworthy features of this plasmid-based assay are its ability to detect
forward mutations, a positive selection for the mutant phenotype, and the
fact that the target for mutagenesis is small, approximately 400 bp, making
determination of mutational spectra by direct DNA sequencing a resonable
objective.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3171600
- **Project number:** 5R01CA033821-07
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** E2NYLCDML6V1
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN M ESSIGMANN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $150,378
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1983-02-01 → 1990-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3171600

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3171600, GENETIC EFFECTS OF IONIZING RADIATION (5R01CA033821-07). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3171600. Licensed CC0.

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