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Anoxic radiosensitization of two Bacillus species by p-nitroacetophenone

Journal Article · · Int. J. Radiat. Biol., v. 24, no. 5, pp. 505-515

P-nitroacetophenone (PNAP) has been tested for its ability to alter radiation sensitivity in two closely related bacilli. PNAP is an anoxic sensitizer of spores and vegetative cells of both B. megaterium and B. pumilus, although the extent of PNAP's sensitization differs in each of the four test systems. In the spores, PNAP increased the anoxic responses by 40% in B. megaterium and 20% in B. pumilus. (The oxygen enhancement ratios here are 2.14 and 2.22, respectively.) In both vegetative cells, PNAP achieved full oxygen- level sensitization, increasing the anoxic responses of B. megaterium by l30% and B. pumilus by 60%. These factor-of-two ratios in PNAP's efficiency in both the spores and vegetative cells suggest this difference might be due to inherent differences in the cells themselves. The ratios of the amounts of DNA in the spores and vegetative cells correspond closely to the ratios of PNAP's maximum efficiencies in these cells. Those results, while not identifying DNA as the target, suggest that specific reactions between PNAP and possible target molecules should be studied. (auth)

Research Organization:
Inst. of Cancer Research, Sutton, Eng.
NSA Number:
NSA-29-015907
OSTI ID:
4357912
Journal Information:
Int. J. Radiat. Biol., v. 24, no. 5, pp. 505-515, Journal Name: Int. J. Radiat. Biol., v. 24, no. 5, pp. 505-515; ISSN IJRBA
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English