Fabrication of low-density ionizing radiation-related oligonucleotide microarray

AIM: To fabricate an oligonucleotide microarray (applied) to ionizing radiation. METHODS: According to the genes reported previously in radiation responses and their family genes or related genes, oligonucleotide microarray was designed. mRNA sequences of these genes were obtained from the GenBank. Specific probes were designed with Mprobe software and synthesized by AB18909 DNA synthesis system and spotted onto aldehyde-coated glass slides using Cartesian Pix sys 3000 spotter in our (laboratory.) Using this microarray, we identified genes showing (altered) expression in different radiosensitive lung cancer cell lines. To provide independent confirmation of microarray data, semi-quantitative RT-PCR was performed on four genes. RESULTS: Low-density radiation-related oligonucleotide microarray was fabricated successfully, which had 143 genes including 127 (involved) in stress response, cell cycle progression, DNA damage and repair, apoptosis and proliferation, together with 11 housekeeping genes and 3 luciferase genes as positive controls and 2 rice genes as negative controls. Eighteen differentially expressed genes were screened by this microarray. Four genes were detected by RT-PCR, and the results were in accordance with those from the microarray data, even though the value for each mRNA level might be different between the two measurements. CONCLUSION: The radiation-related oligonucleotide microarray can be used to investigate the differentially expressed genes in different radiosensitive cancer cells and provide a platform for radiation research.