Is there any dose-rate effect in breaking DNA strands by short pulses of extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray radiation? (Conference Presentation)

Possible dose-rate effects in a plasmid DNA exposed to pulsed extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and soft x-ray (SXR) water window radiation from two different table-top plasma-based sources was studied. Dose delivered to the target molecule was controlled by attenuating the incident photon flux with aluminum thin foils as well as varying the DNA/buffer-salt ratio in the irradiated sample. Irradiated samples were analyzed using the agarose gel electrophoresis. Some additional bands were identified in gel electrophoretograms as results of a DNA cross-linking. They were inspected by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Yields of single- and double-strand breaks (Gy-1 Da-1) were determined as a function of incident dose rate. Both yields decreased with a dose rate increasing. The ratio of single- and double-strand breaks exhibited only a slight increase at elevated dose rates. In conclusion, complex and/or clustered damages do not seem to be initiated under these irradiation conditions.