[Molecular-cellular mechanism of the oxygen effect]

A new scheme of the oxygen effect is proposed for the radiation-induced reproductive cell death. According to this scheme, the oxygen effect manifests itself by the increased yield of lesions, and the thiol effect, by elimination of these lesions. The relationship between the oxygen effect and the enzyme repair can be explained by a change in the share of the oxygen-dependent and oxygen-independent lesions in the lethal effect. The proposed scheme is in agreement with the experimental data which could not be explained earlier. The authors give the molecular description of the phenomenologic scheme symbols.