Adaptation of the gymnosperms to the conditions of irradiation in Chornobyl zone: from morphological anomalies to the molecular genetic consequences.

It is known that the most suitable plant indicator targets for radiation pollution biomonitoring are conifers, because they have high radiosensitivity. In this review are briefly considered previously accumulated information about the genetic nature of morphological abnormalities in gymnosperms, induced by acute and chronic irradiation in the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Since in the last decade appeared additional number of important research results, dedicated to the analysis of molecular biological and molecular genetic effects of chronic irradiation on the coniferous plants growing in the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl disaster, all these results are also analyzed in current review.