Identifying compensatory genomic changes due to nickel (Ni2+) exposure: electrochemistry and quantifying DNA damage

Abstract

Nickel is a toxic heavy metal that has been shown to cause adverse health conditions in organisms. DNA damage has been observed in nematodes in response to nickel exposure. Nematodes originating from environments with high Ni concentrations have shown an increased resistance to Ni exposure. Recombinant inbred lines (RIAILS) have been created using a cross between a nematode originating from a Ni rich environment, with a nematode from an environment with low levels of Ni. In this study, RIAILs were grown on Ni treated plates and Ni absent plates. DNA from the different cultures were extracted and studied using electrochemistry and mass spectrometry. This study shows that RIAILs exhibit a varied response to Ni exposure. RIAILs with lower DNA damage may have advantageous genes reducing the amount of DNA damage in the organism in response to nickel exposure. Contrarily, nematodes with higher DNA damage may have inherited genes that make them more susceptible to Ni exposure. The varying response in DNA damage between RIAILs suggests there are multiple genes involved with Ni exposure. Future studies involving the outliers can lead to a better understanding of the mechanism(s) by which Ni causes DNA damage.