NUKLEONIKA 2006, 51(4):193-201

INFLUENCE OF 137Cs AND 90Sr ON VEGETATIVE AND GENERATIVE ORGANS OF Lepidium sativum L. AND Tradescantia CLONE 02

Danute Marèiulioniene1, Benedikta Lukšiene2, Dalius Kiponas1, Danguole Montvydiene1, Gemir Maksimov1, Jurate Darginavièiene1, Virgilija Gaveliene1

1 Institute of Botany, 49 Žaliuju ežeru Str., LT-08406, Vilnius, Lithuania
2 Insitute of Physics, 231 Savanoriu Ave., LT-02300, Vilnius, Lithuania

The impact of 137Cs and 90Sr activity concentrations from 0.4 to 400 kBq·L-1 and from 1 to 200 kBq·L-1, respectively, on seed germination of Lepidium sativum was insignificant; however, all concentrations of 137Cs and 30 kBq·L-1 concentration of 90Sr slightly stimulated root growth. The accumulated 137Cs and 90Sr stimulated shoot and parenchyma cell growth; 137Cs suppressed RNA-polymerase II activity, and 90Sr, on the contrary, stimulated it. Different genotoxic effects on Tradescantia clone 02 stamen hair cells were observed with comparable 137Cs and 90Sr activity concentrations. Activity concentrations of 137Cs from 0.001 to 1.3 kBq·L-1 were more effective in Tradescantia clone 02 stamen hair cell reproduction, whereas the studied activity concentrations of 90Sr (from 0.002 to 640 kBq·L-1) induced more mutations.