[The RBE of 239Pu alpha particles for radiosensitive mutant yeast irradiated at a logarithmic growth stage].

The relative biological efficiency (RBE) of alpha particles for wild-type yeast cells and radiosensitive mutants exposed in stationary and logarithmic stages of growth was compared. A correlation between the RBE of densely ionizing radiation and cell repair capacity was supported for plateau-phase cultures. It was shown for the first time that RBE of alpha particles for cells exposed in logarithmic stage was less than the RBE for stationary cells for all strains studied. For the most mutant cells RBE of alpha particle was closed to unity, i.e. cell radiosensitivity was almost identical for sparsely and densely ionizing radiation. Possible reasons for the observed radiation responses are discussed.