The role of genotype in the protection of E.coli cells against radiation of defferent LET by cysteamin and glycerol

The protecting effects of cysteamin and glycerol on the survival of wild type E.Coli cells, rec A- mutant, pol A- mutant, and Gamsup(r) 444 mutant cells against radiation of different LET has been investigated. The results suggest that the protection of E.Coli cells by the alone-mentioned compounds are of different nature. There is no protection by cysteamin in repair defficient mutants. On the other hand the protective effects of glycerol increases from rec A- mutant to wild type and pol A- mutant. Dose-modifying factors (DMF) in the case of carbon particles have been determined, too. We have obtained DMF=1.36 and DMF=1.32 respectively, in the case of glycerol. On the contrary, cysteamin did not influence the effect of carbon ions in E.Coli cells at all. Possible mechanisms of the protecting effects of cysteamin and glycerol are considered