Studies on the cytogenetic and genetic effects of fluoride on barley
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Date
1971
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Abstract
The cytogenetic and genetic effects of fluoride on barley were studied. Chromosomal aberrations were induced and mitosis was inhibited following the treatment of seedling root tips with either sodium fluoride or hydrofluoric acid at concentrations of 1x10⁻²M, 1x10⁻⁴M and 1x10⁻⁶M. The sodium fluoride treatments induced a higher frequency of aberrations than did the hydrofluoric acid treatments, possibly due to differences in pH and in the total available fluoride ions. Cytological analyses disclosed that these treatments produced bridges, fragments, chromosome gaps and micronuclei. Treatments of seedling coleoptiles with either sodium fluoride alone or in combination with dimethyl sulfoxide did not inhibit growth. However, cytological observations showed that chromosome bridges and fragments, univalents, fragments, and micronuclei were produced by these treatments. Tests were conducted to determine if the fluoride treatments were capable of inducing chlorophyll mutations. Plants whose coleoptiles had been treated at the seedling stage were self-fertilized and reciprocally crossed with untreated plants. The seedlings obtained from these latter self-fertilizations were screened for chlorophyll mutations. None were observed. Cytological observations of the plants produced by the seeds obtained from the reciprocal crosses showed few aberrations, indicating a low frequency of transmission of chromosomal aberrations through the gametes to the progeny.
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Major plant genetics