Radiation biology. Radioecology
ISSN: 0869-8031

Archives → 2020 → V. 60. №5. → pp. 507–515

Article

Features of Genotoxic Exposure by α-Radiation in Drosophila melanogaster Test-systems

Z. M. Biyasheva, M. Zh. Tleubergenova, Yu. A. Zaripova, V. V. Dyachkov, and S. Zh. Kolumbaeva

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Research Institute for Problems of Biology and Biotechnology, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Abstract

Radon is a natural, colorless and odorless radioactive gas, and its daughter decay products (DDP) are radioisotopes and mainly generate α-radiation into the environment. Alpha particles create a large number of ions along the short path, that is, they have high ionizing activity. A high level of ionization leads to a relatively high biological activity of these particles, 10 times greater than with beta and gamma radiation. In this regard, we have conducted studies of the genotoxic effects of α-radiation using different test systems on the fruit fly of Drosophila melanogaster: Muller-5 (Basc), linked X-chromosomes and linked XY-chromosomes. Radon isotope ²²²Rn has the main α-line with an energy of 5.5 MeV, but it is technically difficult to create fairly intense and directed beams of radon α-radiation. Therefore, the ²³⁸Pu isotope, which have the necessary α-line for decay equal to 5.5 MeV, was chosen for the modeling experiments. In the first and second generations, the following morphological disorders were observed: various morphoses of the wings (asymmetry, wing absence), eyes, body, thorax, antennas, melanomas on different parts of the body, which manifested before F3 and disappeared in F4. These morphological changes indicate genotoxic and carcinogenic activity of radon and its daughter decay products. Based on this, it can be assumed that the alpha particles, with the help of which the situation in radon-hazardous territories was modeled, have a genotoxic effect, manifested mainly in the formation of morphoses or deformities.

Keywords

morphoses, radon, α-radiation, drosophila, genotoxicity