Antioxidants increase the adaptive response of seeds during radiation mutagenesis of wheat plants

To elucidate the mechanism of radiation adaptation of seeds to damaging and mutagenic effects of high-level gamma-radiation, a study was made of the influence on this process of phenozane, a synthetic antioxidant. The treatment of wheat seeds with phenozane, in the concentration that does not influence the effect of subsequent 'challenging doses', prior to adaptation thereof to ionizing radiation, increased considerably the adaptation effect and displayed it in its absence without treatment with the antioxidant. Since the antioxidant cannot affect significantly the process of primary repair of DNA damages, it is suggested that the major contribution to the mechanism of plant adaptation to ionizing radiation is made by the process of simulated repopulation