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Radiation Damage (radiation + damage)
Selected AbstractsX-ray absorption by macromolecular crystals: the effects of wavelength and crystal composition on absorbed doseJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2004James W. Murray Radiation damage restricts the useful lifetime for macromolecular crystals in the X-ray beam, even at cryotemperatures. With the development of structural genomics pipelines, it will be essential to incorporate projected crystal lifetime information into the automated data collection software routines. As a first step towards this goal, a computer program, RADDOSE, is presented which is designed for use by crystallographers in optimizing the amount of data that can be obtained from a particular cryo-cooled crystal at synchrotron beamlines. The program uses the composition of the crystal and buffer constituents, as well as the beam energy, flux and dimensions, to compute the absorption coefficients and hence the theoretical time taken to reach an absorbed dose of 2,×,,Gy, the so-called `Henderson limit'. At this dose, the intensity of the diffraction pattern is predicted to be halved. A `diffraction,dose efficiency' quantity is introduced, for the convenient comparison of absorbed dose per diffracted photon for different crystals. Four example cases are considered, and the implications for anomalous data collection are discussed in the light of the results from RADDOSE. [source] Radiation damage in protein crystals examined under various conditions by different methodsJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 2 2009Elspeth F. Garman Investigation of radiation damage in protein crystals has progressed in several directions over the past couple of years. There have been improvements in the basic procedures such as calibration of the incident X-ray intensity and calculation of the dose likely to be deposited in a crystal of known size and composition with this intensity. There has been increased emphasis on using additional techniques such as optical, Raman or X-ray spectroscopy to complement X-ray diffraction. Apparent discrepancies between the results of different techniques can be explained by the fact that they are sensitive to different length scales or to changes in the electronic state rather than to movement of atoms. Investigations have been carried out at room temperature as well as cryo-temperatures and, in both cases, with the introduction of potential scavenger molecules. These and other studies are leading to an overall description of the changes which can occur when a protein crystal is irradiated with X-rays at both cryo- and room temperatures. Results from crystallographic and spectroscopic radiation-damage experiments can be reconciled with other studies in the field of radiation physics and chemistry. [source] Dose dependence of radiation damage for protein crystals studied at various X-ray energiesJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 1 2007Nobutaka Shimizu Radiation damage to protein crystals is the most serious problem in obtaining accurate structures from protein crystallography. In order to examine the photon energy dependence of radiation damage, 12 to 15 data sets from each of nine tetragonal lysozyme crystals were collected at nine different X-ray energies (6.5, 7.1, 8.3, 9.9, 12.4, 16.5, 20.0, 24.8 and 33.0,keV) using beamline BL41XU at SPring-8. All results were compared on the basis of absorbed dose, expressed in Gray (Gy). Crystallographic statistics, such as the values of lattice constants, Rmerge and I/,(I), for each data set degraded at all nine energies as the exposure time for each crystal increased. In all data sets, radiation damage was observed after the absorbed dose exceeded 106,Gy. However, from the point of view of crystallographic statistics normalized to the absorbed dose, no clear dependence on photon energy was observed in these results. Structural refinement showed that the average B -factor for the last data set was larger than that for the first data set at all energies tested. However, no energy dependence of radiation damage on B -factor was found. Furthermore, disruption of disulfide bonds due to radiation damage was observed in electron density maps even at the highest photon energy (33,keV) used in this study. Therefore, these results suggest that radiation damage in the energy range investigated could be evaluated based on absorbed dose without energy dependence, and that it is important to minimize the absorbed dose in a crystal sample for obtaining an accurate protein structure. [source] Soft X-ray radiation-damage studies in PMMA using a cryo-STXMJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 3 2003Tobias Beetz Radiation damage sets a fundamental limit for studies with ionizing radiation; cryo-methods are known to ease these limits. Here, measurements on mass loss and the decrease in the C=O bond density as measured by oxygen-edge XANES (NEXAFS) spectroscopy in thin films of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), studied in a vacuum, are reported. While cryo-methods allow more than 95% of the mass to remain at doses up to ,Gy, there is little difference in C=O bond density versus dose between 298,K and 113,K sample temperatures. At both temperatures the critical dose for bond breaking is ,15 × 106,Gy. [source] Radiation damage to crystalline biological molecules: current viewJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 6 2002Elspeth Garman First page of article [source] Radiation damage of protein crystals at cryogenic temperatures between 40,K and 150,KJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 4 2002Tsu-Yi Teng X-ray radiation damage of lysozyme single crystals by an intense monochromatic beam from the Advanced Photon Source is studied at cryogenic temperatures between 40,K and 150,K. The results confirm that primary radiation damage is both linearly dependent on the X-ray dose and independent of temperature. The upper limit for the primary radiation damage observed in our previous study [Teng & Moffat (2000), J. Synchrotron Rad. 7, 313317] holds over the wider temperature range of this study. The X-ray diffraction quality of the data acquired at 40,K is superior to those at 100,K, apparently due to temperature dependence of secondary and tertiary radiation damage and to reduced thermal motion. [source] Effects of radiation pretreatments on the rubber adsorption power and reinforcing properties of fillers in rubber compoundsPOLYMER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 7 2001Franco Cataldo Abstract Radiation damage to fillers such as carbon black, graphite and silica induced by high doses of ,-radiation or neutrons dramatically increases their ability to adsorb rubber irreversibly. In fact, the ,bound rubber', ie the amount of non-extractable rubber which remains irreversibly linked to the filler matrix, increases dramatically in radiation-treated fillers. The increased adsorption power of radiation-damaged fillers has been attributed to the formation of a higher concentration of surface defects in the form of trapped free radicals, fullerene-like structures and other kinds of defects. The mechanical properties of rubber compounds filled with radiation-treated carbon blacks show a significant increase in their reinforcing effects, in line with the increased ability to form ,bound rubber'. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Radiation damage in macromolecular crystallography: what is it and why should we care?ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 4 2010Elspeth F. Garman Radiation damage inflicted during diffraction data collection in macromolecular crystallography has re-emerged in the last decade as a major experimental and computational challenge, as even for crystals held at 100,K it can result in severe data-quality degradation and the appearance in solved structures of artefacts which affect biological interpretations. Here, the observable symptoms and basic physical processes involved in radiation damage are described and the concept of absorbed dose as the basic metric against which to monitor the experimentally observed changes is outlined. Investigations into radiation damage in macromolecular crystallography are ongoing and the number of studies is rapidly increasing. The current literature on the subject is compiled as a resource for the interested researcher. [source] The magic triangle goes MAD: experimental phasing with a bromine derivativeACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 4 2010Tobias Beck Experimental phasing is an essential technique for the solution of macromolecular structures. Since many heavy-atom ion soaks suffer from nonspecific binding, a novel class of compounds has been developed that combines heavy atoms with functional groups for binding to proteins. The phasing tool 5-amino-2,4,6-tribromoisophthalic acid (B3C) contains three functional groups (two carboxylate groups and one amino group) that interact with proteins via hydrogen bonds. Three Br atoms suitable for anomalous dispersion phasing are arranged in an equilateral triangle and are thus readily identified in the heavy-atom substructure. B3C was incorporated into proteinase K and a multiwavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) experiment at the Br,K edge was successfully carried out. Radiation damage to the bromine,carbon bond was investigated. A comparison with the phasing tool I3C that contains three I atoms for single-wavelength anomalous dispersion (SAD) phasing was also carried out. [source] Using X-ray absorption spectra to monitor specific radiation damage to anomalously scattering atoms in macromolecular crystallographyACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 7 2007V. Oliéric Radiation damage in macromolecular crystals is not suppressed even at 90,K. This is particularly true for covalent bonds involving an anomalous scatterer (such as bromine) at the `peak wavelength'. It is shown that a series of absorption spectra recorded on a brominated RNA faithfully monitor the extent of cleavage. The continuous spectral changes during irradiation preserve an `isosbestic point', each spectrum being a linear combination of `zero' and `infinite' dose spectra. This easily yields a good estimate of the partial occupancy of bromine at any intermediate dose. The considerable effect on the near-edge features in the spectra of the crystal orientation versus the beam polarization has also been examined and found to be in good agreement with a previous study. Any significant influence of the (C,Br bond/beam polarization) angle on the cleavage kinetics of bromine was also searched for, but was not detected. These results will be useful for standard SAD/MAD experiments and for the emerging `radiation-damage-induced phasing' method exploiting both the anomalous signal of an anomalous scatterer and the `isomorphous' signal resulting from its cleavage. [source] Zero-dose extrapolation as part of macromolecular synchrotron data reductionACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 5 2003Kay Diederichs Radiation damage to macromolecular crystals at third-generation synchrotron sites constitutes a major source of systematic error in X-ray data collection. Here, a computational method to partially correct the observed intensities during data reduction is described and investigated. The method consists of a redundancy-based zero-dose extrapolation of a decay function that is fitted to the intensities of all observations of a unique reflection as a function of dose. It is shown in a test case with weak anomalous signal that this conceptually simple correction, when applied to each unique reflection, can significantly improve the accuracy of averaged intensities and single-wavelength anomalous dispersion phases and leads to enhanced experimental electron-density maps. Limitations of and possible improvements to the method are discussed. [source] Structures of Four Crystal Forms of DecaplaninHELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA, Issue 5 2003Christopher Lehmann The glycopeptide antibiotic decaplanin (1; formerly known as MM 47761 and M86-1410) crystallizes in two P21 and two P6122 crystal forms, each with four monomers in the asymmetric unit, with solvent contents varying from 48 to 69%. Although with ca. 600 unique atoms, the structures are larger than typical small molecules, one was solved by direct methods. The other three were solved by typical macromolecular methods: single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) of the Cl-atoms present naturally in the structure, multiple-wavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) at the Br absorption edge for a crystal soaked in NaBr solution, and molecular replacement. There is evidence of appreciable radiation damage with loss of 20,30% of the covalent and ionic halogens affecting the synchrotron datasets that may even have unintentionally facilitated the MAD structure solution. The structures contain the dimer units typical of antibiotics related to vancomycin, but, in addition, there are a variety of further intermolecular interactions responsible for the polymorphy leading to intertwined 61 -helices in two of the crystal forms. Except for the sugars and some sidechains, the conformations of the 16 independent monomers are very similar. [source] Genetic Aberrations in Chernobyl-Related Thyroid Cancers: Implications for Possible Future Nuclear Accidents or Nuclear AttacksIUBMB LIFE, Issue 12 2003Gennady Ermak Abstract Cases of thyroid cancer among children in Belarus represent a unique model system in which the cause of the cancer is known - radiation. Although other sources of radiation-induced cancers are diminishing (survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and individuals exposed to diagnostic or therapeutic radiation) fears of radiation exposure from accidents and terrorism are increasing. Our analysis of current data reveals that Chernobyl-related cancer cases might have a specific pattern of genetic aberrations. These data strongly confirm the hypothesis that radiation-induced cancers might arise as a result of specific gene aberrations that are distinct from those in sporadic cancers, suggesting that methods of prevention and treatment of radiation-induced cancers might require a different approach. Understanding of the molecular mechanisms of Chernobyl-related papillary thyroid carcinomas will help to identify mechanisms by which radiation causes aberrations and oncogenic cell transformation. Thus, in turn, it will be important in the development of new treatments or technologies to minimize the effects of radiation damage from nuclear accidents or nuclear attacks. IUBMB Life, 55: 637-641, 2003 [source] Pressure-induced high-density amorphous ice in protein crystalsJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2008Chae Un Kim Crystal cryocooling has been used in X-ray protein crystallography to mitigate radiation damage during diffraction data collection. However, cryocooling typically increases crystal mosaicity and often requires a time-consuming search for cryoprotectants. A recently developed high-pressure cryocooling method reduces crystal damage relative to traditional cryocooling procedures and eases or eliminates the need to screen for cryoprotectants. It has been proposed that the formation of high-density amorphous (HDA) ice within the protein crystal is responsible for the excellent diffraction quality of the high-pressure cryocooled crystals. This paper reports X-ray data that confirm the presence of HDA ice in the high-pressure cryocooled protein crystallization solution and protein crystals analyzed at ambient pressure. Diffuse scattering with a spacing characteristic of HDA ice is seen at low temperatures. This scattering then becomes characteristic successively to low-density amorphous, cubic and hexagonal ice phases as the temperature is gradually raised from 80 to 230,K, and seems to be highly correlated with the diffraction quality of crystals. [source] Radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: Systematic review of radiobiology and modeling projections indicate reconsideration of its useJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Alan J Wigg Abstract Background and Aims:, External beam radiotherapy currently has a limited role in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this article was to review available radiobiological data on HCC and normal liver and incorporate these data into radiobiological models that may be used to explain and improve treatment. Methods:, Volume doubling times of HCC were described and used to demonstrate growth of HCC with time, assuming both exponential and logistic growth. Radiosensitivity of HCC was described and used to demonstrate the probability of uncomplicated tumor control as tumor size increases. The relationship between tolerance of liver to irradiation and volume irradiated was examined. Results:, The median volume doubling time for untreated HCC was 130 days. HCC have a long period of subclinical growth. Radiosensitivity of HCC lies within the range of other tumors commonly treated with radiotherapy. When treating small volumes of normal liver, relatively high doses may be used with low risk of late radiation damage. There is a high probability of sterilizing subclinical disease and small HCC with tolerable radiation doses. Conclusion:, New radiobiological data, modeling, emerging clinical data and the advantages offered by standard external beam radiotherapy techniques suggest the need for reconsidering the use of radiotherapy and for new trials. [source] Radiation damage in protein crystals examined under various conditions by different methodsJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 2 2009Elspeth F. Garman Investigation of radiation damage in protein crystals has progressed in several directions over the past couple of years. There have been improvements in the basic procedures such as calibration of the incident X-ray intensity and calculation of the dose likely to be deposited in a crystal of known size and composition with this intensity. There has been increased emphasis on using additional techniques such as optical, Raman or X-ray spectroscopy to complement X-ray diffraction. Apparent discrepancies between the results of different techniques can be explained by the fact that they are sensitive to different length scales or to changes in the electronic state rather than to movement of atoms. Investigations have been carried out at room temperature as well as cryo-temperatures and, in both cases, with the introduction of potential scavenger molecules. These and other studies are leading to an overall description of the changes which can occur when a protein crystal is irradiated with X-rays at both cryo- and room temperatures. Results from crystallographic and spectroscopic radiation-damage experiments can be reconciled with other studies in the field of radiation physics and chemistry. [source] A beginner's guide to radiation damageJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 2 2009James M. Holton Many advances in the understanding of radiation damage to protein crystals, particularly at cryogenic temperatures, have been made in recent years, but with this comes an expanding literature, and, to the new breed of protein crystallographer who is not really interested in X-ray physics or radiation chemistry but just wants to solve a biologically relevant structure, the technical nature and breadth of this literature can be daunting. The purpose of this paper is to serve as a rough guide to radiation damage issues, and to provide references to the more exacting and detailed work. No attempt has been made to report precise numbers (a factor of two is considered satisfactory), and, since there are aspects of radiation damage that are demonstrably unpredictable, the `worst case scenario' as well as the `average crystal' are discussed in terms of the practicalities of data collection. [source] Phosphorus L2,3 -edge XANES: overview of reference compoundsJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 2 2009Jens Kruse Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy is becoming an increasingly used tool for the element speciation in complex samples. For phosphorus (P) almost all XANES measurements have been carried out at the K -edge. The small number of distinctive features at the P K -edge makes in some cases the identification of different P forms difficult or impossible. As indicated by a few previous studies, the P L2,3 -edge spectra were richer in spectral features than those of the P K -edge. However, experimentally consistent spectra of a wide range of reference compounds have not been published so far. In this study a library of spectral features is presented for a number of mineral P, organic P and P-bearing minerals for fingerprinting identification. Furthermore, the effect of radiation damage is shown for three compounds and measures are proposed to reduce it. The spectra library provided lays a basis for the identification of individual P forms in samples of unknown composition for a variety of scientific areas. [source] Progress in research into radiation damage in cryo-cooled macromolecular crystalsJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 1 2007Elspeth F. Garman First page of article [source] Dose dependence of radiation damage for protein crystals studied at various X-ray energiesJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 1 2007Nobutaka Shimizu Radiation damage to protein crystals is the most serious problem in obtaining accurate structures from protein crystallography. In order to examine the photon energy dependence of radiation damage, 12 to 15 data sets from each of nine tetragonal lysozyme crystals were collected at nine different X-ray energies (6.5, 7.1, 8.3, 9.9, 12.4, 16.5, 20.0, 24.8 and 33.0,keV) using beamline BL41XU at SPring-8. All results were compared on the basis of absorbed dose, expressed in Gray (Gy). Crystallographic statistics, such as the values of lattice constants, Rmerge and I/,(I), for each data set degraded at all nine energies as the exposure time for each crystal increased. In all data sets, radiation damage was observed after the absorbed dose exceeded 106,Gy. However, from the point of view of crystallographic statistics normalized to the absorbed dose, no clear dependence on photon energy was observed in these results. Structural refinement showed that the average B -factor for the last data set was larger than that for the first data set at all energies tested. However, no energy dependence of radiation damage on B -factor was found. Furthermore, disruption of disulfide bonds due to radiation damage was observed in electron density maps even at the highest photon energy (33,keV) used in this study. Therefore, these results suggest that radiation damage in the energy range investigated could be evaluated based on absorbed dose without energy dependence, and that it is important to minimize the absorbed dose in a crystal sample for obtaining an accurate protein structure. [source] Towards an understanding of radiation damage in cryocooled macromolecular crystalsJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 3 2005Colin Nave Interest in radiation damage is growing rapidly owing to the surge in macromolecular crystallography experiments carried out at modern brilliant synchrotron macromolecular crystallography beamlines. Work on the characterization of radiation damage in cryocooled protein crystals is starting to have some impact on our understanding of the problem and of how damage might be affecting both the process of structure solution and the actual structure obtained. A brief review of the most recent developments is given together with an assessment of the remaining problems. Although progress is being made, the understanding of radiation damage is far from complete. Methods for recognizing the damage and treating the data are being made available but they are still at an early stage of development. [source] Beam-size effects in radiation damage in insulin and thaumatin crystalsJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 3 2005A. Wagner Cryocooled insulin and thaumatin crystals were irradiated in a series of alternating data collections and high-dose-rate exposures using either a vertically focused or vertically defocused beam. The main result is that the radiation damage is limited to the exposed region, which can be explained by the short range of the photoelectrons and the Auger electron cascade produced by light elements. Consequently, the unexposed angular range provides significantly improved data quality and electron density compared with previously exposed angular wedges of the crystal when a vertically focused beam is used, while no differences are observed between a fresh wedge and an exposed region for the vertically defocused beam. On the other hand, the focused beam provides higher I/,I ratios at high resolution than homogeneous sample illumination but also causes more rapid sample deterioration. [source] Variable-period undulators as synchrotron radiation sourcesJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 3 2003G. K. Shenoy A concept for variable-period undulators for the production of synchrotron radiation from both medium- and high-energy storage rings is described. This concept is based on a staggered array of permeable poles placed in a magnetic solenoid that produces a longitudinal field. The concept permits variations in the short magnetic period of the undulator of as much as 100%. The unique capabilities of such undulators will allow them to be tuned by the variation of the period length and of the solenoid field. The device can be operated at either constant flux or constant power, independent of X-ray energy. It is expected that the new concept will have a major impact on the production and applications of X-rays because of the inherent simplicity and flexibility of the design and the absence of radiation damage. Analyses of the magnetic and mechanical design concepts are presented. [source] Physical and chemical considerations of damage induced in protein crystals by synchrotron radiation: a radiation chemical perspectiveJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 6 2002Peter O'Neill Radiation-induced degradation of protein or DNA samples by synchrotron radiation is an inherent problem in X-ray crystallography, especially at the `brighter' light sources. This short review gives a radiation chemical perspective on some of the physical and chemical processes that need to be considered in understanding potential pathways leading to the gradual degradation of the samples. Under the conditions used for X-ray crystallography at a temperature of <100,K in the presence of cryoprotectant agents, the majority of radiation damage of the protein samples arises from direct ionization of the amino acid residues and their associated water molecules. Some of the chemical processes that may occur at these protein centres, such as bond scission, are discussed. Several approaches are discussed that may reduce radiation damage, using agents known from radiation chemistry to minimize radical-induced degradation of the sample. [source] Too hot to handle?JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 6 2002Synchrotron X-ray damage of lipid membranes, mesophases The call for brighter synchrotron X-radiation sources for use in structural biology research is barely audible as we enter the new millennium. Our brightest sources are already creating havoc when used at design specifications because of radiation damage. The time is long overdue to take stock of where we are and where we wish to go with regards to using existing sources and to designing new ones. The problem of radiation damage is particularly acute in studies involving kinetics and mechanisms where cryo-techniques are not always viable. Accordingly, we need to understand the very nature of radiation damage and to devise means of minimizing it. This is the thrust of the current report as applied to lipid membranes and mesophases. The experiments were performed at the most brilliant beamlines at CHESS, the APS and the ESRF. Two very different types of radiation damage are reported here. One involves a dramatic phase transformation and the other a disordering of lamellar stacking. How beam energy and dose rate affect damage is also discussed. The work highlights the free-radical-mediated nature of the damage process and the need for additional studies if the most efficient use is to be made of an important resource, synchrotron radiation. [source] Radiation damage of protein crystals at cryogenic temperatures between 40,K and 150,KJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 4 2002Tsu-Yi Teng X-ray radiation damage of lysozyme single crystals by an intense monochromatic beam from the Advanced Photon Source is studied at cryogenic temperatures between 40,K and 150,K. The results confirm that primary radiation damage is both linearly dependent on the X-ray dose and independent of temperature. The upper limit for the primary radiation damage observed in our previous study [Teng & Moffat (2000), J. Synchrotron Rad. 7, 313317] holds over the wider temperature range of this study. The X-ray diffraction quality of the data acquired at 40,K is superior to those at 100,K, apparently due to temperature dependence of secondary and tertiary radiation damage and to reduced thermal motion. [source] In Vivo Radioprotective Effects of Nigella sativa L Oil and Reduced Glutathione Against Irradiation-Induced Oxidative Injury and Number of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in RatsPHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2006Mustafa Cemek Radiotherapy is one of the most common therapies for treating human cancers. Several studies have indicated that irradiation induces reactive oxygen species (ROS), which play an important role in radiation damage of the cell. It has been shown that Nigella saliva L. (NS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) have both an antiperoxidative effect on different tissues and a scavenger effect on ROS. The purpose of this study was to determine the antioxidant and radio-protective roles of NS and GSH against irradiation-induced oxidative injury in an experimental model. The NS group was administrated NS (1 mL/kg body weight), the GSH group was injected GSH (150 mg/kg body weight) and the control group was given physiologic saline solution (1 mL/kg body weight) for 30 consecutive days before exposure to a single dose of 6 Gy of radiation. Animals were sacrificed after irradiation. Malondialdehyde, nitrate, nitrite (oxidative stress markers) and ascorbic acid, retinol, ,-carotene, GSH and ceruloplasmin (nonenzymatic antioxidant markers) levels and peripheral blood lymphocytes were measured in all groups. There were statistically significant differences between the groups for all parameters (P < 0.05). Whole-body irradiation caused a significant increase in blood malondialdehyde, nitrate and nitrite levels. The blood oxidative stress marker levels in irradiated rats that were pretreated with NS and GSH were significantly decreased; however, non-enzymatic antioxidant levels were significantly increased. Also, our results suggest that NS and GSH administration prior to irradiation prevent the number of alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase peripheral blood T lymphocytes from declining. These results clearly show that NS and GSH treatment significantly antagonize the effects of radiation. Therefore, NS and GSH may be a beneficial agent in protection against ionizing radiation-related tissue injury. [source] How do UV Photomorphogenic Responses Confer Water Stress Tolerance?,,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Dennis C. Gitz ABSTRACT Although ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation is potentially harmful, it is an important component of terrestrial radiation to which plants have been exposed since invading land. Since then, plants have evolved mechanisms to avoid and repair UV radiation damage; therefore, it is not surprising that photomorphogenic responses to UV-B are often assumed to be adaptations to harmful radiation. This presupposes that the function of the observed responses is to prevent UV damage. It has been hypothesized that, as with blue light, UV-B provides a signal important for normal plant development and might be perceived within developing plants through nondestructive processes, perhaps through UV-specific signal perception mechanisms. UV signal perception can lead to photomorphogenic responses that may confer adaptive advantages under conditions associated with high-light environments, such as water stress. Plant responses to UV radiation in this regard include changes in leaf area, leaf thickness, stomatal density, photosynthetic pigment production and altered stem elongation and branching patterns. Such responses may lead to altered transpiration rates and water-use efficiencies. For example, we found that the cumulative effect of ambient UV-B radiation upon stomatal density and conductance can lead to altered water-use efficiencies. In field settings, UV might more properly be viewed as a photomorphogenic signal than as a stressor. Hence, it might be insufficient to attempt to fully evaluate the adaptive roles of plant responses to UV-B cues upon stress tolerance by the simultaneous application of UV and drought stress during development. We propose that rather than examining a plant's response to combinations of stressors one might also examine how a plant's response to UV induces tolerance to subsequently applied stresses. [source] Adequate phenylalanine synthesis mediated by G protein is critical for protection from UV radiation damage in young etiolated Arabidopsis thaliana seedlingsPLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 12 2008KATHERINE M. WARPEHA ABSTRACT Etiolated Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings, lacking a functional prephenate dehydratase1 gene (PD1), also lack the ability to synthesize phenylalanine (Phe) and, as a consequence, phenylpropanoid pigments. We find that low doses of ultraviolet (UV)-C (254 nm) are lethal and low doses of UV-B cause severe damage to etiolated pd1 mutants, but not to wild-type (wt) seedlings. Furthermore, exposure to UV-C is lethal to etiolated gcr1 (encoding a putative G protein-coupled receptor in Arabidopsis) mutants and gpa1 (encoding the sole G protein , subunit in Arabidopsis) mutants. Addition of Phe to growth media restores wt levels of UV resistance to pd1 mutants. The data indicate that the Arabidopsis G protein-signalling pathway is critical to providing protection from UV, and does so via the activation of PD1, resulting in the synthesis of Phe. Cotyledons of etiolated pd1 mutants have proplastids (compared with etioplasts in wt), less cuticular wax and fewer long-chain fatty acids. Phe-derived pigments do not collect in the epidermal cells of pd1 mutants when seedlings are treated with UV, particularly at the cotyledon tip. Addition of Phe to the growth media restores a wt phenotype to pd1 mutants. [source] A proteomic analysis of murine bone marrow and its response to ionizing radiationPROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 16 2005Changwei Chen Dr. Abstract To characterize the mouse bone marrow tissue proteome and investigate the response to radiation damage we took bone marrow before and after 4-Gy ,-irradiation from mouse strains (C57BL/6 and CBA/Ca) that differ in their short-term and long-term radiation responses and analyzed extracellular proteins by high-resolution 2-DE. Twenty proteins were identified from 71,protein spots in both C57BL/6 and CBA/Ca. We detected significant differences between control and irradiated bone marrow and between genotypes and identified many of the changed proteins by MS. In C57BL/6, 27,spots were significantly different between control and irradiated samples. In CBA/Ca, 18,spots showed significant changes following irradiation. Proteins such as serum albumin, apolipoprotein,A-I, ferritin, haptoglobin (Hp) and ,-1-antitrypsin were changed in irradiated bone marrow of both mouse strains, reflecting an ongoing acute-phase reaction. Several other proteins including serotransferrin, neutrophil collagenase, peroxiredoxin,2 and creatine kinase,M chain were changed specifically in an individual mouse strain. The proteomic approach makes an important contribution to characterizing bone marrow proteome and investigating the tissue response of bone marrow to radiation, assists in identifying genotype-dependent responses and provides support for the importance of microenvironmental factors contributing to the overall response. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||