[Effects of chronic irradiation on the adaptive potential of plants]

The content of anthocianins was determined in Oenothera biennis plants, grown from seeds, picked on the plots with different levels of radionuclide contamination in the 30-km Chernobyl zone. It was shown that the content of anthocianins was higher in plants from Yanov area (20-40 mR/h) than in plants from Chernobyl area (0.04 mR/h). An acute gamma-irradiation of seeds with a dose of 5-100 Gy or UV-irradiation of plants resulted in increasing of anthocianin content which was higher in plants grown from the seeds picked on plots with a low level of radionuclide contamination. The data obtained suggest that chronic irradiation of O. biennis populations induces accumulation of anthocianins. Apparently the adaptivity potential has been more completely realised in plants on the plots with a higher level of radionuclide contamination. The populations which were formed in the absence or at the low level of radionuclide contamination, on the contrary, have a significant adaptivity potential and, accordingly, higher radioresistance.