Yields of strand breaks and base lesions induced by soft X-rays in plasmid DNA

Yokoya, Akinari; Fujii, Kentaro; Ushigome, Takeshi; Shikazono, Naoya; Urushibara, Ayumi; Watanabe, Ritsuko

We have studied yields of DNA damages induced by soft X-rays obtained from a conventional soft X-ray machine in a LET region between -rays and ultrasoft X-rays. Practically soft X-rays with a broad energy spectrum emitted from a target of heavy metal, such as tungsten, have been widely used not only for radiobiological experiments but also for medical application such as mammography. Radiation weighting factors for these soft X-rays have been assigned to be 1 by ICRP. However, the fraction of a large number of low energy photons in the spectrum (below several tens keV) provided by bremsstrahlung is expected to be more effective for DNA damage induction than -rays since low energy photo- and Auger electrons predominantly ejected in consequence of a photoelectric effect can produce dense clusters of ionization/excitation on DNA molecules. We have examined the yield of DNA strand breaks induced by white soft X-rays (150 kVp, tungsten target). Yields of base lesions revealed by base excision repair enzymes will be also presented.