Summary
The addition of 5% of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to cultures ofEuglena gracilis in the logarithmic phase of growth caused an immediate inhibition of cell multiplication and motility without completely blocking nuclear division. Importantly, some 50% of the cells were 2–3 times larger than normal and were also binucleate after 24–48 hours of treatment. Evidently binucleation resulted from the lack of cytokinesis after mitosis was induced. Transmission electron microscopy, using serial sections, showed the occurrence of nuclei either with a normal or a reduced number of chromatin masses. Solvent withdrawal led to a rapid recovery of all the normal cell activities.
On the contrary, 2.5% of DMSO produced no effect during the entire period of treatment (48 hours), whereas a 1-hour exposure to 10% of the solvent was sufficient to provoke aspecific and irreversible cellular damage.
Since DMSO is known to produce alterations in actin-containing structures in a wide variety of cells types, an involvement of microfilaments in cell motility, cytokinesis and chromosome separation during mitosis inEuglena is proposed and discussed.
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The study was supported by a grant from Italian Research Council (CNR), contract No. 80.00420.04.
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Vannini, G.L., Poli, F. Binucleation and abnormal chromosome distribution inEuglena gracilis cells treated with dimethyl sulfoxide. Protoplasma 114, 62–66 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01279869
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01279869