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Articles

Cellular Senescence, Radiation Damage to Mitochondria, and the Compensatory Response in Ripening Pear Fruits ¹

Department of Pomology, University of California, Davis, California 95616

A compensatory response, viz. in vivo recovery from radiation damage to mitochondria, occurs in preclimacteric pear fruits (Pyrus communis L.) treated with ionizing radiation. The compensatory response is absent or markedly impaired in senescent fruits irradiated at or near the climacteric peak. Senescent cells failed to recover from harmful effects of radiation on: 1) mitochondrial yield, 2) in vivo incorporation of amino acids into mitochondrial protein, and 3) mitochondrial respiratory control and ADP/O. A diminished response to "split-dose" irradiation and a delayed rate of recovery confirmed the degeneracy and loss of compensatory power with cell age.

A loss of restorative activity, especially in mitochondria that supply the cell with essential energy, may underlie the more obvious signs of cumulative stress that accompany cellular senescence. Use of ionizing radiation as an investigative tool and the molecular implications of radiation damage, recovery, and cellular senescence are discussed.