Molecular mechanisms of radiation-induced adaptive response in animal models

从历史上看，低剂量辐射的生物效应是根据高剂量辐射对日本原子弹爆炸幸存者、受辐射的铀矿工人、镭油漆工或核潜艇建造者群体的生物效应进行推断的。这一推断假定，任何剂量，无论多小，都可能有害。然而，最近的研究表明，低剂量辐射的生物效应要复杂得多。生物体有很强的“承受”或“适应"辐射的能力。适应性反应是指低剂量辐射后获得的辐射抗性。在我的NSERC资助的项目中，我们已经表明，植物可以通过大幅重塑其基因组来适应切尔诺贝利地区的慢性辐射和生活。

Historically, the biological effects of low-dose radiation were estimated by extrapolating from the biological effects of high-dose radiation on Japanese atomic-bomb survivors, groups of exposed uranium miners, radium painters, or nuclear submarine builders. This extrapolation postulates that any dose no matter how small is potentially harmful. However, it was recently shown that the biological effects of low-dose radiation are considerably more complex. Living organisms have great capacity to 'withstand' or 'adapt' to radiation. Adaptive response is defined as the acquired radio-resistance after irradiation with low doses. In my NSERC funded project we have shown that plants can adapt to chronic irradiation and life in Chernobyl area by substantially re-shaping their genomes.