Effects of long duration space flight on rice seed (or embryo) radiation sensitivity and element microlocalizations.

In long duration space experiments Rice caryopses and embryos, which are able to remain alive 10 years (or more) and tolerate extreme physical conditions (temperature, few water content) during irradiation and post-irradiation storage, were used (8, 40, 201 and 457 days on board of Salyut 7, 2107 days on LDEF). In certain experiments (Salyut 7), samples were irradiated either before or after the flight. Effects of the flight and radiosensitivity were observed in Rice seedlings cultivated in in vitro conditions. Statistical results indicate an increase in radiosensitivity when irradiations occur before the flight. Microanalyses were made in different parts of one caryopsis and of one embryo, and the results compared with those of control samples. With caryopses and embryos of the same Rice varieties, but from LDEF, we made the same kinds of experiments to compare results.

Investigation on rice embryos and seeds after the LDEF flight: electronic spin resonance identification.

Rice caryopsis of Cigalon variety with short grain of the LDEF mission can develop and grow as well as those of the laboratory control. Rice caryopsis of Delta variety with long grain did not develop while a small number of excised embryos can develop and grow as well as the control group. A preliminary study of the Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectra of Rice embryos and seeds recorded several month after the flight on flight samples and on control ones has been carried out. All these samples had the same storage time. During storage the radical concentration which usually decreases, now depends on irradiation doses and on whether or not they were delivered in presence of oxygen. The signal variations are smaller than those usually observed in the different parts of the starch. An estimation of a "gamma-equivalent-dose" can be reached.