Biological Effects of Low Energy Ar+ Ion Bombardment on Silkworm Eggs: a Novel Animal Model

摘要

In this study, we found for the first time that silkworm eggs were able to survive in vacuum for along period of time. Subsequently, low energy Ar+ ions with different energies and fluences were used to bombard silkworm eggs so as to explore the resulting biological effects. Results showed that (i) the exposure of silkworm eggs to vacuum with in 10 min did not cause significant impact on the hatching rates, while their radiation of silkworm eggs by Ar+ ions of 25 keV or 30 keV with fluences ranging from 2.6 x 2.6 x 10(15) ion/cm(2) to 8 x 2.6 x 10(15) ion/cm(2) caused a significant impact on the hatching rates, and the hatching rates decreased with the increase in the fluence and energy level; (ii) the irradiation of silkworm eggs by Ar+ ions of 30 keV with a fluence of 8 x 2.6 x 10(15) ion/cm(2) or 9 x 2.6 x 10(15) ion/cm(2) resulted in a noticeable etching on the egg shell surface which could be observed by a scanning electron microscope; and (iii) their radiation of silkworm eggs by Ar+ ions of 30 keV with a fluence of 9 x 2.6 x 10(15) ion/cm(2) generated several mutant phenotypes which were observed in the 5(th) in star silkworms and a moth.