The Temporal Course of Radiation Effect on Glycine Transport in Ascites Tumour Cells

Summary Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells were irradiated with 3, 6 or 10 kR in vitro under conditions (concentrated cell suspension, relative hypoxia) in which no acute diminution of glycine transport occurred. The ability to transport glycine was found to decrease progressively as a function of time after irradiation, and was dependent on exposure. This effect of irradiation appears to involve the active transport system per se, since the data are not explicable on the basis of: (1) cell death, (2) alterations in population density, (3) increased passive membrane permeability to glycine or (4) ageing of the cell population.