Connotea
CiteULike
del.ico.us
BibSonomyAbstract
Superoxide radical assays and applications in Mars-like Atacama soils
Department of Biology, Section of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
Department of Biology, Section of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
Soils on Mars are thought to accumulate superoxide radicals, as they are formed continually by UV radiation hits on basalt minerals. Yet, beyond electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, no other methods exist that detect and quantify superoxide radicals in soils. This study describes two such assays that are based on the reaction of superoxide radical with hydroethidine and oxidized cytochrome c. They are unique in being able to test unambiguously for the presence of superoxide in a soil matrix with a high level of accuracy. Applications with soils from the Atacama Desert showed that the sensitivity of the assays is equal to or greater than that of EPR spectroscopy.
Received 10 December 2006; accepted 1 June 2007; published 29 August 2007.
Citation: (2007), Superoxide radical assays and applications in Mars-like Atacama soils, J. Geophys. Res., 112, G04S13, doi:10.1029/2006JG000390.
Cited By