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Title: Changes in Sensitivity of Maize Chromosomes to X Rays During Seed Germination

Abstract

Changes in the radiosensitivity of maize seeds during early stages of germination were studied by means of somatic-mutation techniques. Seeds heterozygous for the yg2 (yellow-green) locus were irradiated with 800 r of x rays after soaking in running tap water up to 42 hr. Yellow-green sectors, representing mutations affecting the dominant yg2 locus, in leaves 4 and 5 of seedling plants were used as a criterion of radiosensitivity. The frequency of soniatic sectors was virtually nil for dry seed and for seeds soaked up to 16 hr. Sector frequencies underwent a marked (9- to 15-fold) rise from 16 to 28 hr, reached a plateau of sensitivity and subsequently declined. Manometric studies were conducted on seeds soaked under the same conditions as those irradiated. The rate of oxygen consumption rose rapidly from 0 to 7 hr, remained essentially constant from 7 to 16 hr, then underwent an approximately 2-fold increase from 16 to 24 hr, after which the rate of progressive increase was retarded. The fact that the marked rise in frequency of x-ray-induced somatic sectors coincided with the major increase in oxygen consumption suggests that radiosensitivity of soaked seeds is conditioned by metabolic changes during seed development. Changes in radiosensitivitymore » that followed attainment of peak sector frequencies were apparently governed by factors that influenced the rate of seed development.« less

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, N.Y.
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
4755792
NSA Number:
NSA-17-015650
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
American Journal of Botany
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 49; Journal Issue: 5; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-63; Journal ID: ISSN 0002-9122
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English
Subject:
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE; AGE; CEREALS; CHROMOSOMES; COLOR; GENETICS; HUMIDITY; MAIZE; MEASURED VALUES; METABOLISM; MUTATIONS; OXYGEN; PHYSIOLOGY; PRESSURE; QUANTITY RATIO; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOSENSITIVITY; SEEDS; VARIATIONS; WATER; X RADIATION

Citation Formats

Latterell, Richard L., and Steffensen, Dale M. Changes in Sensitivity of Maize Chromosomes to X Rays During Seed Germination. Country unknown/Code not available: N. p., 1962. Web. doi:10.2307/2439416.
Latterell, Richard L., & Steffensen, Dale M. Changes in Sensitivity of Maize Chromosomes to X Rays During Seed Germination. Country unknown/Code not available. https://doi.org/10.2307/2439416
Latterell, Richard L., and Steffensen, Dale M. 1962. "Changes in Sensitivity of Maize Chromosomes to X Rays During Seed Germination". Country unknown/Code not available. https://doi.org/10.2307/2439416.
@article{osti_4755792,
title = {Changes in Sensitivity of Maize Chromosomes to X Rays During Seed Germination},
author = {Latterell, Richard L. and Steffensen, Dale M.},
abstractNote = {Changes in the radiosensitivity of maize seeds during early stages of germination were studied by means of somatic-mutation techniques. Seeds heterozygous for the yg2 (yellow-green) locus were irradiated with 800 r of x rays after soaking in running tap water up to 42 hr. Yellow-green sectors, representing mutations affecting the dominant yg2 locus, in leaves 4 and 5 of seedling plants were used as a criterion of radiosensitivity. The frequency of soniatic sectors was virtually nil for dry seed and for seeds soaked up to 16 hr. Sector frequencies underwent a marked (9- to 15-fold) rise from 16 to 28 hr, reached a plateau of sensitivity and subsequently declined. Manometric studies were conducted on seeds soaked under the same conditions as those irradiated. The rate of oxygen consumption rose rapidly from 0 to 7 hr, remained essentially constant from 7 to 16 hr, then underwent an approximately 2-fold increase from 16 to 24 hr, after which the rate of progressive increase was retarded. The fact that the marked rise in frequency of x-ray-induced somatic sectors coincided with the major increase in oxygen consumption suggests that radiosensitivity of soaked seeds is conditioned by metabolic changes during seed development. Changes in radiosensitivity that followed attainment of peak sector frequencies were apparently governed by factors that influenced the rate of seed development.},
doi = {10.2307/2439416},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4755792}, journal = {American Journal of Botany},
issn = {0002-9122},
number = 5,
volume = 49,
place = {Country unknown/Code not available},
year = {Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1962},
month = {Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1962}
}