The relationship of the efficiency of energy conversion into growth as an indicator for the determination of the optimal dose for mutation breeding with the appearance of chromosomal abnormalities and incomplete mitosis after gamma irradiation of kernels of Triticum turgidum ssp. durum L.

The study aim was to determine the optimal gamma irradiation dose for mutation breeding in Triticum turgidum ssp. durum L. Root, shoot and seedling growth, as well as the efficiency of energy conversion into growth were determined to examine the growth retardation effects of gamma irradiation that are the result of DNA damage (bridges, ring chromosomes, micronuclei, incomplete mitosis) in Triticum turgidum ssp. durum L. The kernels were irradiated with doses of 50, 150, 250 and 350 Gy using a 60Cobalt gamma-ray source. The kernels were placed in germination paper at 25 °C to grow for a 132 h period for the determination of shoot and root growth and the efficiency of energy conversion into growth. Root tips were collected and fixated over a 47.5 h growth period for the determination of the chromosomal abnormalities and incomplete mitosis. The control differed highly significantly (p < 0.01) from irradiated samples at all doses in root growth and from 250 to 350 Gy samples in shoot growth and the efficiency of energy conversion into growth. There was a highly significant (p < 0.01) increase in the number of bridges and micronuclei between 50 Gy samples and samples irradiated with the higher irradiation doses while 50 Gy samples differed only from 250 and 350 Gy samples regarding ring chromosomes and interphase cells with incomplete mitosis. Root and seedling growth on the one hand and the efficiency of energy conversion into growth on the other were found to be measuring different effects of gamma irradiation on plant growth. The latter was used for the determination of the optimal dose for mutation breeding as 155.52 Gy.

Effect of gamma irradiation on nucleolar activity in root tip cells of tetraploid Triticum turgidum ssp. durum L.

Ionizing irradiation induces positive or negative changes in plant growth (M1) depending on the amount of irradiation applied to seeds or plant parts. The effect of 50-350 Gy gamma irradiation of kernels on nucleolar activity, as an indicator of metabolic activity, in root tip cells of tetraploid wheat Triticum turgidum ssp. durum L. cv. Orania (AABB) was investigated. The number of nucleoli present in nuclei and micronuclei as well as the mitotic index in the different irradiation dosages was used as an indicator of the cells entering mitosis, the chromosomes with nucleolar organizer regions that are active as well as chromosome doubling in the event of unsuccessful mitotic division. Nucleolar activity was investigated from 17.5 to 47.5 h after the onset of imbibition to study the first mitotic division and its consequences on the cells that were in G2 and G1 phases at the time of gamma irradiation. Untreated material produced a maximum of four nucleoli formed by the nucleolar organizing regions (NORs) on chromosomes 1B and 6B. In irradiated material, additional nucleoli were noted that are due to the activation of the NORs on chromosome 1A in micronuclei. The onset of mitosis was highly significantly retarded in comparison to the control due to checkpoints in the G2 phase for the repairing of damaged DNA. This study is the first to report on the appearance of nucleoli in micronuclei as well as activation of NORs in the micronuclei that are inactive in the nucleus and the effect of chromosome doubling on nucleolar activity in the event of unsuccessful mitotic division.