Disease relevance of plutonium

• Ovarian death and sterility result from gnu gain of function. gnu function requires the activity of pan gu and plu [1].

High impact information on plutonium

• At the transition from meiosis to cleavage mitoses, Drosophila requires the cell cycle regulators encoded by the genes, giant nuclei (gnu), plutonium (plu) and pan gu (png) [1].
• In Drosophila melanogaster, the cell cycle control gene, plutonium (plu), is located between the PCNA and RpS18 genes at position 56F on chromosome arm 2R [2].
• In each species, this region contains a plu gene resembling the D. melanogaster gene in size and in the number and position of introns [2].
• A cytogenetic study was performed on 79 plutonium (Pu) workers chronically exposed to alpha radiation from inhaled, low-transportable (insoluble) compounds of airborne 239Pu and to external gamma rays [3].
• A worker noted a small wound to his thumb when leaving a work site that was undergoing decontamination because of past operations with plutonium (Pu) and americium (Am) [4].

Biological context of plutonium

• This paper compares the observed urinary excretion data with that indicated by a simulation of the kinetics of the transfer from the wound site and the kinetics of the chelating agent and Pu [4].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of plutonium

• Bicarbonate was among the most effective of the different drugs used to affect this balance, as 5 h of continuous perfusion decreased the kidney Pu burden by a factor of 4 [5].

References