ArticleScientific reports2014
Increased radiation from Chernobyl decreases the expression of red colouration in natural populations of bank voles (Myodes glareolus).
Article in Scientific reports, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Application of melanin and its engineered nanomaterials in tumor radiotherapy: a review.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Review
- Contrasting pathogen prevalence between tick and dog populations at Chornobyl.Parasites & vectors · 2024Article
- Population transcriptogenomics highlights impaired metabolism and small population sizes in tree frogs living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.BMC biology · 2023Article
- Individual quality and phenology mediate the effect of radioactive contamination on body temperature in Chernobyl barn swallows.Ecology and evolution · 2021Article
- Effect of Rosmarinic Acid and Ionizing Radiation on Glutathione in Melanoma B16F10 Cells: A Translational Opportunity.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Article
- Fibroblasts from bank voles inhabiting Chernobyl have increased resistance against oxidative and DNA stresses.BMC cell biology · 2018Article
- Analysis of heteroplasmy in bank voles inhabiting the Chernobyl exclusion zone: A commentary on Baker et al. (2017) "Elevated mitochondrial genome variation after 50 generations of radiation exposure in a wild rodent."Evolutionary applications · 2018Article
- Repeated evolution of camouflage in speciose desert rodents.Scientific reports · 2017Article
- Ionizing radiation from Chernobyl affects development of wild carrot plants.Scientific reports · 2016Article
- Colour and pattern change against visually heterogeneous backgrounds in the tree frog Hyla japonica.Scientific reports · 2016Article
- Fitness costs of increased cataract frequency and cumulative radiation dose in natural mammalian populations from Chernobyl.Scientific reports · 2016Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Pheomelanin is a pink to red version of melanin pigment deposited in skin and hair. Due to its bright colour, pheomelanin plays a crucial function in signalling, in particular sexual signalling. However, production of pheomelanin, as opposed to its dark alternative, eumelanin, bears costs in terms of consumption of antioxidants important for protection of DNA against naturally produced reactive oxidative species. Therefore, decreased expression of pheomelanin is expected in organisms exposed to severe oxidative stress such as that caused by exposure to chronic ionizing radiation. We tested if variable exposure to radiation among natural populations of bank voles Myodes glareolus in Chernobyl affected expression of red colouration in their dorsal fur. The relative redness of dorsal fur was positively correlated with weight, but also negatively correlated with the level of background radiation. These results suggest that the development of the natural red colouration in adult bank voles is affected by ionizing background radiation, and potentially causing elevated levels of oxidative stress. Reduced production of pheomelanin allows more antioxidants to mitigate the oxidative stress caused by radiation. However, changing natural animal colouration for physiological reasons can have ecological costs, if e.g. it causes mismatch with habitat colouration and conspicuousness for predators.
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