Figure 4.

Neutron induced physiological alterations in plants. The physiological effect of neutron radiation on 35-d-old Arabidopsis plants. (A) The content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in wild-type Col (white bars), aux1 (gray bars) and eir1 (black bars) plants, before and after irradiation with neutron at 50 mGy and after 24 h recovery. (B) Chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm ratio) measured in control conditions after irradiation with neutrons at 50 mGy, and after recovery from stress (R24). Measurements were done on dark adapted leaves of Col (black circles), aux1 (white squares) and eir1 (black squares) plants. (C) Quantitative mRNA transcript level of photosynthetic apparatus related genes CAB1 and RUB-1B after neutron irradiation at 50 mGy (gray bars), and 24-h after the treatment (black bars) measured in the wild-type Col plants, and in the auxin mutants aux1 and eir1. Expression levels are calibrated with respect to the relative mRNA amount in the untreated control plants. Note: bars represent means ± SD (n = 5–7); NT, untreated plants; 50, 50 mGy of neutron irradiation; R24, 24 hours of recovery after the treatment.