THE EFFECT OF CR (VI) ON DIFFERENT INBRED LINES OF ZEA-MAYS .1. NUCLEI AND CELL-CYCLE IN THE ROOT-TIP TISSUE

Four inbred lines of Zea mays (33.16, B 68, N 7B, B 77) were grown in nutrient solution to which K2Cr2O7 was added to give final concentration of 5 mg/l Cr (VI). The most evident differences in metal tolerance were observed between the B 68 and 33.16 line: in fact, even though the level of Cr (VI) was almost the same in the root tissues of both lines after 6 d of treatment, in the B 68 line, Cr induced marked alterations of nuclear structure and a progressive arrest of the cell cycle in G 1. In the 33.16 line, on the contrary, the integrity of the nuclei was well preserved and the progression of the cell cycle was only barely affected.