Document Type

Presentation - Poster - Display Only

Effect of bond strength variation and ionizing radiation on mutations in cytosine-guanine islands

Authors

• Joshua Robert Bedwell, Southern Adventist University
• Yan Poniatovskyi, Southern Adventist University
• Vola Andrianarijaona, School of Engineering and Physics, Southern Adventist University

Department

Physics & Engineering

Date of Activity

8-19-2025

Abstract

Ionizing radiation produces free electrons within cells which then ionizes DNA and has the potential to cause carcinogenic mutations. Cytosine-Guanine (CpG) islands are regions that are rich in cytosine and guanine bases and are common sites of single point mutations and strand breaks. In this study, density function theory (DFT) is used to calculate the potential energy of DNA nucleotide dimers varying bond lengths in five different ionized states. Crossing between two ionized states can be seen in the potential energy curves, indicating the possibility of natural transition between the two states. Potential energy curves are used to determine bond stability, and electron density of atoms of interest are compared at specific bond lengths between ionized states. This provides insight into patterns and possible mechanisms of mutation resulting from ionizing radiation.

Recommended Citation

Bedwell, Joshua; Poniatovskyi, Yan; Andrianarijaona, Vola Effect of bond strength variation and ionizing radiation on mutations in cytosine-guanine islands. Poster Presented at the 30th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Washington, DC, August 17–21, 2025.