COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF GAMMA-RAYS AND ELECTRON-BEAMS ON PEROXIDE FORMATION IN PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE

Phosphatidylcholine was irradiated in the state of a film or liposome with gamma-rays or electron beams, and the amount of peroxide was dete rmined to compare the effects of the two types of radiation. The amoun ts of peroxide formed in both the film and liposome with gamma-rays we re significantly larger than those with electron beams, when the sampl es were irradiated at the same dose. Proteins such as bacteriorhodopsi n reduced the degree of peroxide formation in liposome, and the effect of gamma-rays was much larger than that of electron beams, even in th e presence of protein. The results of the present investigation indica te that the effects of gamma-rays on peroxide formation in phosphatidy lcholine were significantly larger than those of electron beams, irres pective of the state of the lipid.