Production of DNA strand breaks by direct effects of heavy charged particles.

A theoretical model has been developed to calculate the yields of single- and double-strand breaks in DNA induced by direct effects of ionizing radiation. In this model, which involves no fitted parameters, elements of track structure and stopping power theory are combined with a detailed geometrical description of DNA to calculate the energy deposited by fast charged particles to DNA molecules. The average energy per interaction with a DNA molecule is estimated to be 30 eV from the available data on oscillator strength measurements. These ideas have been incorporated in a Monte Carlo computer program using Poisson statistics to treat the stochastic nature of the energy deposition processes and thereby determine the excitation and ionization states of the molecule. Each ionization reaction on the DNA backbone is assumed to lead to a DNA strand break. In our model double-strand breaks result from nearby independent breaks on opposite strands. Our calculated single- and double-strand break yields compare well with measured cellular data under conditions such that direct effects are thought to dominate strand break production.