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      Hereditary effects of radioactive fallout on gall-forming aphids and the subsequent recovery process near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

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      Journal of Radiation Research
      Oxford University Press

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          Abstract

          To evaluate the effects of fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident on organisms, I compared the morphology and viability of gall-forming aphids in a Fukushima population with that of control populations from non-contaminated area. The gall is a part of a tree that aphids have transformed from the leaf tissue, and aphids develop and parthenogenetically produce offspring within the gall. Galls are useful for identifying the aphid species, the survival rate and fecundity. I focused on the morphology of the first-instar gall-formers derived from the first sexual reproduction after the accident. Of 164 instars of Tetraneura sorini galls obtained 32 km from FNPP in spring 2012, 13.2% exhibited morphological abnormalities; 2.4% were conspicuously malformed individuals [1]. In contrast, in seven control areas, the average percentage of the first instars with abnormal morphology was 3.8% (0.0–5.1% in the total range). The frequencies of abnormality and mortality were significantly higher in Fukushima than in control areas. However, only 0.37% of second-generation larvae from Fukushima had abnormalities, suggesting that abnormalities found in the first generation were not inherited by the next generation. It was interesting that radioactive contamination was reported in the bark, but inside the galls (made of new leaves) was not directly affected by the fallout. Furthermore, analysis of the aphids collected in spring 2013 indicated that the viability and healthiness of the aphids were significantly improved compared with those collected in 2012. Thus, the results of this study suggest the possibility that a reduced level of radiation and/or selection for radiation tolerance may have led to improved viability and healthiness of the Fukushima population. These results suggest that radioactive contamination near to the FNPP had deleterious effects on embryogenesis in eggs, but a negligible influence on the second generation (produced in closed galls). I am now undertaking further research, analyzing how the DNA sequences vary over years. FUNDING This research was partly supported by Grants-in-Aid (no. 23370037) for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Funding to pay the Open Access publication charges for this special issue was provided by the Grant-in-Aid from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) [KAKENHI Grant No. 26253022].

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          Morphological abnormalities in gall-forming aphids in a radiation-contaminated area near Fukushima Daiichi: selective impact of fallout?

          To evaluate the impact of fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident on organisms, this study compared the morphology and viability of gall-forming aphids between the Fukushima population and control populations from noncontaminated areas. This study, in particular, focused on the morphology of first-instar gall formers derived from the first sexual reproduction after the accident. Of 164 first instars from Tetraneura sorini galls collected 32 km from Fukushima Daiichi in spring 2012, 13.2% exhibited morphological abnormalities, including four conspicuously malformed individuals (2.4%). In contrast, in seven control areas, first instars with abnormal morphology accounted for 0.0–5.1% (on average, 3.8%). The proportions of abnormalities and mortality were significantly higher in Fukushima than in the control areas. Similarly, of 134 first instars from T. nigriabdominalis galls, 5.9% exhibited morphological abnormalities, with one highly malformed individual. However, of 543 second-generation larvae produced in T. sorini galls, only 0.37% had abnormalities, suggesting that abnormalities found in the first generation were not inherited by the next generation. Although investigation is limited to one study site, this result suggests that radioactive contamination had deleterious effects on embryogenesis in eggs deposited on the bark surface, but a negligible influence on the second generation produced in closed galls. Furthermore, analysis of both species samples collected in spring 2013 indicated that the viability and healthiness of the aphids were significantly improved compared to those in the 2012 samples. Thus, the results of this study suggest the possibility that a reduced level of radiation and/or selection for radiation tolerance may have led to the improved viability and healthiness of the Fukushima population.
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            Author and article information

            Journal
            J Radiat Res
            J. Radiat. Res
            jrr
            jrr
            Journal of Radiation Research
            Oxford University Press
            0449-3060
            1349-9157
            December 2015
            29 January 2016
            29 January 2016
            : 56
            : Suppl 1 , Special Issue - Fukushima
            : i62
            Affiliations
            Department of Ecology and Systematics, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8589, Japan
            Author notes
            Corresponding author. Department of Ecology and Systematics, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8589, Japan. Tel: +81-(0)11-706-2480; Fax: +81-(0)11-706-2494; Email: akimoto@ 123456res.agr.hokudai.ac.jp
            Article
            rrv094
            10.1093/jrr/rrv094
            4732539
            26825301
            8c70f485-c509-4ebf-b103-f21aa54d389f
            © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

            This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oup.com

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            Categories
            Special Issue - Fukushima

            Oncology & Radiotherapy
            Oncology & Radiotherapy

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