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Journal of Environmental Pathology, Toxicology and Oncology

ISSN for PRINT: 0731-8898

Institutional price:	$672.00
Issues per year:	4

Best Paper Award Selection - Editorial Board Site

2003, Volume22

82 pages

DOI: 10.1615/JEnvPathToxOncol.v22.i1

Issue price - $160.00

Carcinogenicity of Nickel Is the Result of Its Binding to RNA and Not to DNA

Parminder Kaur
Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh-160014, India

Harinder M. Dani
Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India

ABSTRACT

In vivo and in vitro studies have shown for the first time that nickel binds maximally to RNA as compared to DNA. The distribution of radiolabeled nickel in various subcellular fractions of liver, kidney, spleen, and lungs of rats has shown that it was mostly localized in the nuclear fraction of each organ, where it was bound to RNA and not to DNA or to proteins. Significant differences between infrared (IR) spectra of RNA and RNA incubated with nickel chloride further corroborate these findings. Parallel experiments with DNA did not show any such effects. Nickel may, therefore, be acting as a carcinogen by controlling gene expression post-transcriptionally.