RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Effect of X-ray irradiation on ancient DNA in sub-fossil bones – Guidelines for safe X-ray imaging
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 057786
DO 10.1101/057786
A1 Alexander Immel
A1 Adeline Le Cabec
A1 Marion Bonazzi
A1 Alexander Herbig
A1 Heiko Temming
A1 Verena J. Schuenemann
A1 Kirsten I. Bos
A1 Frauke Langbein
A1 Katerina Harvati
A1 Anne Bridault
A1 Gilbert Pion
A1 Marie-Anne Julien
A1 Oleksandra Krotova
A1 Nicholas J. Conard
A1 Susanne C. Muenzel
A1 Dorothée G. Drucker
A1 Bence Viola
A1 Jean-Jacques Hublin
A1 Paul Tafforeau
A1 Paul Tafforeau
YR 2016
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/06/08/057786.abstract
AB Sub-fossilised remains may still contain highly degraded ancient DNA (aDNA) useful for palaeogenetic investigations. Whether X-ray computed [micro-] tomography ([μ]CT) imaging of these fossils may further damage aDNA remains debated. Although the effect of X-ray on DNA in living organisms is well documented, its impact on aDNA molecules is unexplored.Here we investigate the effects of synchrotron X-ray irradiation on aDNA from Pleistocene bones. A clear correlation appears between decreasing aDNA quantities and accumulating X-ray dose-levels above 2000 Gray (Gy). We further find that strong X-ray irradiation reduces the amount of nucleotide misincorporations at the aDNA molecule ends. No representative effect can be detected for doses below 200 Gy. Dosimetry shows that conventional μCT usually does not reach the risky dose level, while classical synchrotron imaging can degrade aDNA significantly. Optimised synchrotron protocols and simple rules introduced here are sufficient to ensure that fossils can be scanned without impairing future aDNA studies.