Analysis of charge and mass effects on peroxidase expressions and activities in Arabidopsis thaliana after low-energy ion irradiation.

In order to study the impact of incident ions on organism mutation, positively and negatively charged low-energy oxygen and hydrogen ions were implanted into the dry seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana using three different dosages. The effects of ion irradiation on peroxidase abundance, activity, isozyme patterns, and transcription were analyzed. The results showed that ion irradiation increases peroxidase activity, transcription, and translation. In all analyses, the relative magnitude of effect of the three ions was consistent, with the implantation of O(+) and H(+) affecting peroxidase more than O(-). This finding suggests that the charge of an incident ion influences cellular systems more than its mass.