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Tolerance to proton irradiation in the eutardigrade Richtersius coronifer--a nuclear microprobe study.

Nilsson, Charlotta LU ; Jönsson, K. Ingemar and Pallon, Jan LU (2010) In International Journal of Radiation Biology 86(5). p.420-427
Abstract
PURPOSE: The tardigrade Richtersius coronifer has previously been shown to tolerate very high doses of low linear energy transfer (low-LET) radiation (gamma rays). The purpose of this study was to extend our knowledge on radiation tolerance in this species by investigating the dose-response to high-LET radiation in terms of protons. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dehydrated tardigrades of the species R. coronifer were irradiated with 2.55 MeV (megaelectronvolts) protons at doses ranging from 500 gray (Gy) to 15,000 Gy, to investigate the dose-viability relationship. In addition, a focused proton microbeam was utilised to determine the areal mass distribution, using the ion beam analytical technique STIM (Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy).... (More)
PURPOSE: The tardigrade Richtersius coronifer has previously been shown to tolerate very high doses of low linear energy transfer (low-LET) radiation (gamma rays). The purpose of this study was to extend our knowledge on radiation tolerance in this species by investigating the dose-response to high-LET radiation in terms of protons. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dehydrated tardigrades of the species R. coronifer were irradiated with 2.55 MeV (megaelectronvolts) protons at doses ranging from 500 gray (Gy) to 15,000 Gy, to investigate the dose-viability relationship. In addition, a focused proton microbeam was utilised to determine the areal mass distribution, using the ion beam analytical technique STIM (Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy). RESULTS: The experiment suggests that R. coronifer is unaffected by doses of proton irradiation up to 10,000 Gy, but shows very little viability at higher doses. The STIM analysis revealed that the thickness of the dehydrated tardigrades exceeds 150 microm, and that a fraction of the protons may not be fully absorbed. CONCLUSION: Our results are in line with previous studies of exposure to high-LET radiation in tardigrades, indicating that these animals are equally or even more tolerant to high-LET compared to low-LET gamma radiation. The physiological background to this remarkable result is currently unknown, but deserves investigation. (Less)
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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
International Journal of Radiation Biology
volume
86
issue
5
pages
420 - 427
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000276767500009
  • pmid:20397847
  • scopus:77951275684
  • pmid:20397847
ISSN
0955-3002
DOI
10.3109/09553000903568001
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Nuclear Physics (Faculty of Technology) (011013007)
id
6275a7ce-c7ce-4cb0-bf1c-9668ebd13df3 (old id 1595173)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:50:04
date last changed
2022-03-04 05:30:18
@article{6275a7ce-c7ce-4cb0-bf1c-9668ebd13df3,
  abstract     = {{PURPOSE: The tardigrade Richtersius coronifer has previously been shown to tolerate very high doses of low linear energy transfer (low-LET) radiation (gamma rays). The purpose of this study was to extend our knowledge on radiation tolerance in this species by investigating the dose-response to high-LET radiation in terms of protons. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dehydrated tardigrades of the species R. coronifer were irradiated with 2.55 MeV (megaelectronvolts) protons at doses ranging from 500 gray (Gy) to 15,000 Gy, to investigate the dose-viability relationship. In addition, a focused proton microbeam was utilised to determine the areal mass distribution, using the ion beam analytical technique STIM (Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy). RESULTS: The experiment suggests that R. coronifer is unaffected by doses of proton irradiation up to 10,000 Gy, but shows very little viability at higher doses. The STIM analysis revealed that the thickness of the dehydrated tardigrades exceeds 150 microm, and that a fraction of the protons may not be fully absorbed. CONCLUSION: Our results are in line with previous studies of exposure to high-LET radiation in tardigrades, indicating that these animals are equally or even more tolerant to high-LET compared to low-LET gamma radiation. The physiological background to this remarkable result is currently unknown, but deserves investigation.}},
  author       = {{Nilsson, Charlotta and Jönsson, K. Ingemar and Pallon, Jan}},
  issn         = {{0955-3002}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{420--427}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Radiation Biology}},
  title        = {{Tolerance to proton irradiation in the eutardigrade Richtersius coronifer--a nuclear microprobe study.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/09553000903568001}},
  doi          = {{10.3109/09553000903568001}},
  volume       = {{86}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}