Synthesis and characterization of single-walled carbon nanotube: Cyto-genotoxicity in Allium cepa root tips and molecular docking studies

Atike Ince Yardimci; Erman Salih Istifli; Yaser Acikbas; Recep Liman; Nesli Yagmucukardes; Selahattin Yilmaz; İbrahim Hakkı Ciğerci

doi:10.1002/jemt.24177

Synthesis and characterization of single-walled carbon nanotube: Cyto-genotoxicity in Allium cepa root tips and molecular docking studies

Microsc Res Tech. 2022 Sep;85(9):3193-3206. doi: 10.1002/jemt.24177. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Authors

Atike Ince Yardimci¹, Erman Salih Istifli², Yaser Acikbas³, Recep Liman⁴, Nesli Yagmucukardes³, Selahattin Yilmaz⁵, İbrahim Hakkı Ciğerci⁶

Affiliations

¹ Technology Transfer Office, Usak University, Usak, Turkey.
² Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Literature, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
³ Department of Materials Science and Nanotechnology Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Usak University, Usak, Turkey.
⁴ Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Usak University, Usak, Turkey.
⁵ Department of Chemical Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey.
⁶ Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science and Literature, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.

PMID: 35678501
DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24177

Abstract

Herein, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were synthesized by the thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The results indicated that obtained nanotubes were SWCNTs with high crystallinity and their average diameter was 10.15 ± 3 nm. Allium cepa ana-telophase and comet assays on the root meristem were employed to evaluate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of SWCNTs by examining mitotic phases, mitotic index (MI), chromosomal aberrations (CAs), and DNA damage. A. cepa root tip cells were exposed to SWCNTs at concentrations of 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 μg/ml for 4 h. Distilled water and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS, 10 μg/ml) were used as the negative and positive control groups, respectively. It was observed that MIs decreased statistically significantly for all applied doses. Besides, CAs such as chromosome laggards, disturbed anaphase-telophase, stickiness and bridges and also DNA damage increased in the presence of SWCNTs in a concentration-dependent manner. In the molecular docking study, the SWCNT were found to be a strong DNA major groove binder showing an energetically very favorable binding free energy of -21.27 kcal/mol. Furthermore, the SWCNT interacted effectively with the nucleotides on both strands of DNA primarily via hydrophobic π and electrostatic interactions. As a result, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of SWCNTs in A. cepa root meristematic cells which is a reliable system for assessment of nanoparticle toxicology were demonstrated in this study. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: SWCNT synthesis with high crystallinity was achieved by the CVD method. Cytotoxic and genotoxic influences of SWCNTs were investigated. Allium and Comet tests were utilized. For all of the applied concentrations of SWCNTs, the MIs significantly decreased. SWCNTs were found genotoxic.

Keywords: DNA damage; allium; chemical vapor deposition; comet; molecular docking; single-walled carbon nanotubes.

MeSH terms

Chromosome Aberrations
DNA Damage
Meristem
Molecular Docking Simulation
Nanotubes, Carbon* / toxicity
Onions* / genetics
Plant Roots

Substances

Nanotubes, Carbon