Exploring the molecular and chemical-physical aspects of low-dose irradiation using radio-tolerant plant cells

Animals and plants show different levels of radio-sensitivity, with safe dose values in the 0.001–1 and 1–100 Gy range, respectively. The increased radio-tolerance observed in plant cells might represent a valuable tool to investigate the events underlying the low dose (LD) response in the highly radio-sensitive animal cells. The use of radio-resistant plant systems would allow investigation of the LD effects using irradiation conditions that can be easily managed, without the technical constrains currently encountered with animal systems. The basal knowledge on the molecular mechanisms involved in the DNA damage response in plants is rapidly expanding, revealing common features with animal cells at the level of DNA damage sensing/repair, transduction pathways and antioxidant response. The present work provides a short update of the current literature dealing with the DNA damage response in animal and plant cells exposed to LD treatments (ionising radiation, particularly gamma ray) combined with the more recent advances in free radical research.