Membrane potential changes in a plant cell induced by low intensity MM-microwave

It is found that mm-microwave (7.1 mm) radiation of low (10 mW/sq.cm) intensity (MWR) may cause changes in the potential difference (δψm) on plasmatic membrane in green cells of a plant leaf. The initial direction of the changes induced by MWR is opposite to that of the changes caused by temperature elevation by a magnitude equivalent to the heating of cells due to MWR absorption. When a cell is irradiated with MWR of high intensity the next phase of change is observed which is due to temperature increase in the cells caused by MWR radiation absorption. The δΨm changes induced by MWR have transition characteristics whose parameters depend on the temperature, doping of the solution with ATP-synthetase inhibitors, and other factors. Comparison of the changes induced by MWR and changes due to probable activation of ATP synthetases under heating of cells up to 35°C has shown that the MWR effect is probably due to the `nonthermal´ effect of the MWR on conformation of the protein portion of the ATP-synthetase complex leading to activation of the latter