Effects of high ELF magnetic fields on enzyme-catalyzed DNA and RNA synthesis in vitro and on a cell-free DNA mismatch repair

Environmental electromagnetic fields have been implicated in human cancers. We examined whether high extremely low frequency (ELF) AC magnetic fields could affect DNA synthesis, transcription or repair, using in vitro model systems with defined sequences. The rate and fidelity of DNA polymerase catalyzed DNA synthesis, as well as of RNA polymerase catalyzed RNA synthesis, were not statistically significantly affected by 60 Hz 0.25–0.5 Tesla magnetic fields. The efficiency of mutS dependent mismatch repair with human cell extracts was also not affected by the magnetic field exposure. The results suggest that the core processes related to the transmission of genetic information are stable under high ELF magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics 22:260–266, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.