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Effects of space flight on the chromosome aberrations of wheat root tip cells

Li Qun, Guo Fangqing, Gu Ruiqi, Huang Rongqing

Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology,The Chinese Academy of Sciences.Shanghai 200032；China

Abstract

Dry seeds of wheat Triticum aestivum L. cv. Yang-mai No. 5 had been aboarded on a satellite in space for 8 days. After space flight the seeds were germinated and cultured under 25 degree C, then the root tips were fixed in different culture times to observe chromosome aberrations. The chromosome aberration frequency of root tip cells increased after space flight and decreased with a delay of fixation time. It has been shown that the chromosome damage induced by space flight could be partly repaired. The pre-flight treated with radiation protector sinapine and cysteine can reduce the chromosome aberrations. However, radiation sensitizer caffeine has the opposite effects. Wheat seeds hit by cosmic HZE-particles show similar results. It showed that cosmic rays are the main factor for inducing the chromosome aberrations by space flight.

Key words: Space flight;Chromosome aberrations;Damage repair;Cosmic rays

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Citing This Article：

Li Qun, Guo Fangqing, Gu Ruiqi, Huang Rongqing. Effects of space flight on the chromosome aberrations of wheat root tip cells. Acta Physiol Sin 1997; 49 (3): (in Chinese with English abstract).