Environmentally induced radiation-induced bystander effects in live crickets (Acheta domesticus)

PURPOSE: The radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE), or signal mediated transfer of biological responses from irradiated to unirradiated areas, has been demonstrated both intra and interindividually. However, the exact mechanisms are not fully understood, especially between individuals. This paper aims to elucidate if the RIBE can be transferred between individuals through pheromones or biophotons to better understand the underlying mechanisms. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Here, we analyzed the effect of pheromones and biophotons from irradiated crickets on the development of unirradiated crickets to elucidate impacts of the indirect RIBE. RESULTS: We observed significant developmental shifts caused by the indirect RIBE. We found that pheromones caused significant increases to overall growth rate and mass at maturation to unirradiated crickets, causing them to develop similarly to irradiated crickets. We also found that biophotons play a role in development, and that filtering biophotons can lead to significantly higher growth rate. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we show that the RIBE can be indirectly transferred via pheromones and biophotons, impacting maturation and developmental endpoints without direct physical interactions. While the in vitro RIBE is now well understood, the RIBE between living organisms is less clear. It is important to focus on signals identified in vitro to determine if the same signals are triggering the RIBE between individuals.