Regulation of c-fos is affected by electromagnetic fields.

Journal of cellular biochemistry · 1996 · Mixed · Low evidence

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MixedLow evidencePaper 4222

Study snapshot

PublicationJournal of cellular biochemistry · 1996

Study typein_vitro

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to determine if regulatory regions of the c-fos gene were responsive to electromagnetic field exposure. The research design used transfected cells to increase the sensitivity of assays designed to identify changes following exposure. HeLa cells were transiently transfected with plasmids containing upstream regulating regions of c-fos up to -700 base pairs, coupled with the prokaryotic reporter gene CAT. Cells were exposed to an environmentally relevant EMF of 60 Hz at 60 mGrms. CAT expression above control levels in transfected cells (region +42 to -700 bp) was observed following 5 min exposure to the electromagnetic field, with a peak at 20 min. The expression was at basal levels following 40 min exposure. Deletion analysis of upstream DNA narrowed the responsive region to 138 base pairs from -363 to -225, which contains the SRE/AP-1 sites.

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AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typein_vitro

Effect directionmixed

PopulationNot supplied

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureELF · 0.06 MHz · 5–40 min (effects described at 5, 20, and 40 min)

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In transiently transfected HeLa cells carrying c-fos upstream regulatory regions linked to a CAT reporter, exposure to a 60 Hz EMF at 60 mGrms was associated with CAT expression above control levels after 5 minutes, peaking at 20 minutes, and returning to basal levels by 40 minutes. Deletion analysis localized the responsive region to a 138 bp segment from -363 to -225 containing SRE/AP-1 sites.

Outcomes measured

c-fos regulatory region responsiveness to EMF exposure
CAT reporter gene expression (as a proxy for c-fos regulatory activity)
Identification of EMF-responsive DNA region (deletion analysis; SRE/AP-1 sites)

Limitations

In vitro cell model (HeLa cells); findings may not generalize to in vivo contexts
Exposure metric reported as 60 mGrms; other dosimetry details (e.g., field configuration, magnetic vs electric component) not provided in abstract
Sample size and number of replicates not reported in abstract
Outcome is a reporter assay (CAT) rather than endogenous c-fos expression

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "in_vitro",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF",
    "source": null,
    "frequency_mhz": 0.06,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "5–40 min (effects described at 5, 20, and 40 min)"
  },
  "population": null,
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "c-fos regulatory region responsiveness to EMF exposure",
    "CAT reporter gene expression (as a proxy for c-fos regulatory activity)",
    "Identification of EMF-responsive DNA region (deletion analysis; SRE/AP-1 sites)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In transiently transfected HeLa cells carrying c-fos upstream regulatory regions linked to a CAT reporter, exposure to a 60 Hz EMF at 60 mGrms was associated with CAT expression above control levels after 5 minutes, peaking at 20 minutes, and returning to basal levels by 40 minutes. Deletion analysis localized the responsive region to a 138 bp segment from -363 to -225 containing SRE/AP-1 sites.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "In vitro cell model (HeLa cells); findings may not generalize to in vivo contexts",
    "Exposure metric reported as 60 mGrms; other dosimetry details (e.g., field configuration, magnetic vs electric component) not provided in abstract",
    "Sample size and number of replicates not reported in abstract",
    "Outcome is a reporter assay (CAT) rather than endogenous c-fos expression"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "c-fos",
    "gene regulation",
    "HeLa cells",
    "transfection",
    "CAT reporter",
    "ELF EMF",
    "60 Hz",
    "SRE",
    "AP-1",
    "deletion analysis"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": []
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4644(19961201)63:3%3c358::aid-jcb11%3e3.0.co;2-d
PubMed: 8913887

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