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Widespread evidence indicates that exposure of cell populations to ionizing radiation results in significant biological changes in both the irradiated and nonirradiated bystander cells in the population. We investigated the role of radiation quality, or linear energy transfer (LET), and radiation dose in the propagation of stressful effects in the progeny of bystander cells. Confluent normal human cell cultures were exposed to low or high doses of 1GeV/u iron ions (LET ∼ 151 keV/µm), 600 MeV/u silicon ions (LET ∼ 51 keV/µm), or 1 GeV protons (LET ∼ 0.2 keV/µm). Within minutes after irradiation, the cells were trypsinized and co-cultured with nonirradiated cells for 5 h. During this time, irradiated and nonirradiated cells were grown on either side of an insert with 3-µm pores. Nonirradiated cells were then harvested and allowed to grow for 20 generations. Relative to controls, the progeny of bystander cells that were co …