Polysomaty and somatic reduction in Phaseolus coccineus L.

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Abstract
By means of karyological, cytophotometric, and autoradiographic analyses it has been shown that, owing to alterations in the DNA synthesis – mitosis sequence, cells with different nuclear conditions are continuously formed de novo and proliferate in Phaseolus coccineus meristems. Besides diploid cells, the following also occur: (i) polyploid cells as the result of chromosome endoreduplication followed by mitosis; (ii) haploid cells as the result of the separation of the two groups of homologous chromosomes in cells that have omitted DNA reduplication; and (iii) since haploid cells undergo chromosome endoreduplication and divide, isogenic cells can be produced. Diploid mitoses alone are present in the meristems of early embryos; haploid mitoses first appear in both root and shoot meristems with increasing embryo development, followed later by cells undergoing chromosome endoreduplication. The study of the root apex has shown that neither polyploid nor reduced cells occur with the same frequency in its various portions. These results are discussed in relation to pertinent data in the literature and the mechanisms responsible for the occurrence of polysomaty and somatic reduction are suggested.Key words: isogenic cells, Phaseolus coccineus, polysomaty, somatic reduction.