Early Influence of M-Inositol and Sugars on Gammexane Induced C-Mitosis

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
C-mitosis initiation in-onion roots treated with saturated solutions of gammexane is delayed for some hours by an addition of 50–500 mgrs of m-inositol per decilitre of solution. A similar delay is also obtained by an addition of 95 mgrs/dl of saccharose. More or less clear tendencies to such a delaying effect were, finally, detected in some concentrations of glucose, galactose and lactose. It is concluded that, a mere modification of cell permeability being present in all cases, no antigammexane action is manifested by m-inositol in onion root meristems. The present work was already in the press, when we had the opportunity of reading an investigation by CHARGAFF, STEWART and MAGASANIK (Science, 108: 556–558; 1948) on the inhibition of mitotic poisoning by meso-inositol. According to the american authors, a concentration of 0.0033 mol/1 of m-inositol (= 594 mgrs/1) is able to inhibit the C-mitotic effect of 0,000035 mol/1 gammexane (=10 mgrs/1). Since only a 4 hours' treatment was performed by the above authors, they evidently failed to gain a right interpretation of their experimental results.