Nucleic acids and nuclear division

Abstract

Cytological investigations were made to determine the effect of sodium nucleate (SN) on nuclear division and during the recovery, 1-8 days after the treatment. Besides a comparison was made between the effect of the SN and colchicine. Observing the cells of root-tips of Allium sativum and cepa, the author has found the following effects: 1. SN tumor formation due the change of the direction of the spindle axis (transversal division). 2. Polyploid cells, with parallel situated chromosomes, resembling to the phenomena deseripted by Gustafssou y Gentscheff on Spinacea. 3. Reductional grouping of the chromosomes, forming unbalanced nuclei. 4. Feulgen negative segments of certain chromosomes, lack of the charge of DNA during the prometaphase. 5. Parallel divisions after reductional groupings without temporal synchronization. 6. Apolar, unipolar divisions, unipolar telophase, with the diploid number of the chromosomes. 7. Condensation of the chromosomes, similar to the meiotic chromosomes. 8. Lampbrush structure with Feulgen positive derivates. 9. Upset of the spindle mechanism, lack of the congression of chro-mosomes, and lack of the anaphase movement. 10. Bridges, lagging chromosomes, fragments, relational coiling. 11. Divisions tri- and quatripolar. Although the SN as well as the cholchicine both influence the function of the spindle mechanism on essentially similar manner, some observable differences exist between the aforesaid two effects. Neither the disturbance of the polarity as the reductional groupings or quatripolar divisions, nor the sporadic and scarcely oecuring associations of the chromosomes do not prove that the effect of RNA could be considered as a metabolite inducing meiosis.