Eur. Phys. J. D (2014) 68: 240
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2014-50068-8

Regular Article

RADAMOL tool: Role of radiation quality and charge transfer in damage distribution along DNA oligomer^*

¹ Université Bordeaux 1, CNRS/IN2P3, Centre d’Études Nucléaires de Bordeaux-Gradignan, CENBG, Chemin du Solarium, BP 120, 33 175 Gradignan, France
² Department of Radiation Dosimetry, Nuclear Physics Institute of the ASCR, Na Truhlářce 39/64, 180 00 Prague, Czech Republic

^a e-mail: davidkova@ujf.cas.cz

Received: 22 January 2014
Received in final form: 27 May 2014
Published online: 14 August 2014

Abstract

Theoretical modeling is a powerful tool to predict radiation damage of biomolecules such as DNA, proteins and more complex biological targets. In this paper, we present damage distributions along a DNA oligomer irradiated by 10 keV electrons, 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 MeV protons and alpha particles predicted by the simulation tool RADAMOL. The scavengeable damage of base and deoxyribose moieties due to radical attack is more important in the studied system than unscavengeable ionizations of the DNA target and surrounding bound water layer. Radiation quality does not modify distribution of primary damages along the DNA, but changes overall damage yields. For the first time, electron and hole migration along the DNA macromolecule has been taken into account in the simulation procedure. The effect of these processes on distribution of DNA damages is demonstrated.