Assessment of DNA Damage During Gene Delivery in Freshwater Prawn by Chitosan Reduced Gold Nanoparticles

Priyanka C. Nandanpawar¹, Mohd Ashraf Rather², Mohan Ramesh Badhe¹ and Rupam Sharma¹

¹Fish Genetics and Biotechnology Central Institute of Fisheries Education Panch Marg, Versova Mumbai – 400061, India.

²College of Fisheries shirgaon, Ratnagiri-India.

Corresponding Author E-mail: mashraf38@gmail.com

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/2606

ABSTRACT: The increasing application of nanoparticles both in industries and in agricultural fields has led to its accumulation in the aquatic ecosystem through water run-off. Insights into the validity of safer nanoparticles such as gold and chitosan are fairly established. However, its effect on aquatic invertebrates has been less studied. The  present  study  was  aimed  to  study  effects  of  chitosan reduced gold nanoparticles (CRGNPs) during green fluorescent  protein (GFP) encoding plasmid delivery in giant freshwater prawn, macrobrachium rosenbergii. The mean particle size and zeta potential CRGNPs was 33.7 nm and 24.79 mV respectively. Prawn juveniles were  exposed to nanoparticles concentrations (10 µg/L, 20 µg/L) of CRGNPs by immersion treatment for a period of 36 hours. GFP was ubiquitously expressed in muscle tissues of prawns. The comet assay indicated dose dependent genotoxicity of CRGNPs in  gill, pleopod and muscle tissues which  was  in  conformity  with  its  bioaccumulation  pattern  in  vivo. The  highest  bioaccumulation of CRGNPs was found in Gills, followed by pleopods and least in muscles. Hence, the toxicological potential of CRGNPs to the environment cannot be denied and demands more research on the particular aspect. The doses standardized in the present study would be helpful in safer nano-gene delivery in aquatic invertebrates and development of transgenics employing less cost.

KEYWORDS: Bioaccumulation; Comet Assay Gold Genotoxicity; GFP; Nanoparticles;

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