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Comet Assay

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Cancer

  • 360 Accesses

Synonyms

SCGE; Single-cell gel electrophoresis assay; Single-cell microgel electrophoresis assay

Definition

The comet assay is a sensitive electrophoresis technique for studying DNA damage and repair of DNA in individual cells. It has become one of the standard methods for testing of genotoxic stress, and it is also frequently utilized in environmental and human biomonitoring, molecular cancer epidemiology, as well as fundamental cancer research.

Characteristics

The assay can be applied to all cell types including human, animal, or plant cells, whether in culture or isolated from organs or tissues. In general, single-cell suspensions are prepared, and cells are subsequently embedded in a thin agarose gel on microscope slides. Consecutive cell lysis with detergent and high salt removes cellular and nuclear membranes and proteins and liberates DNA in the form of a compact, nucleus-like structure which is also called nucleoid. The gel-embedded DNA is then subjected to electrophoresis. DNA...

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References

  • Collins AR (2004) The comet assay for DNA damage and repair: principles, application, and limitations. Mol Biotechnol 26:249–261

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  • Møller P (2006) The alkaline comet assay: towards validation in biomonitoring of DNA damaging exposures. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 98:336–345

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  • Schmezer P, Rajaee-Behbahani N, Risch A et al (2001) Rapid screening assay for mutagen sensitivity and DNA repair capacity in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Mutagenesis 16:25–30

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  • Speit G, Hartmann A (2006) The comet assay: a sensitive genotoxicity test for the detection of DNA damage and repair. In: Henderson DS (ed) DNA repair protocols: mammalian systems. Methods in molecular biology. Humana Press, Totowa, pp 275–286

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  • Tice RR, Agurell E, Anderson D et al (2000) Single cell gel/comet assay: guidelines for in vitro and in vivo genetic toxicology testing. Environ Mol Mutagen 35:206–221

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See Also

  • (2012) Biomarkers. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, pp 408–409. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_6601

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  • (2012) Genotoxic. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p 1540. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_2393

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division Epigenomics and Cancer Risk Factors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany

    Peter Schmezer

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  1. Peter Schmezer
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Correspondence to Peter Schmezer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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Schmezer, P. (2014). Comet Assay. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_1275-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_1275-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

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