Cytogenetic studies of seed progeny of Pinus sylvestris L. growing in the area of Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill

Abstract

The results of cytogenetic analysis of the Pinus sylvestris seed progeny growing 6.5 km from the Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill are presented. The study of metaphase plates treated with 1% colchicine solution showed 60% of seedlings polyploid cells are found in the root meristem. Aneuploidy, dicentric and ring chromosomes have also been reported. The mitotic division study (without colchicine treatment) at the stages of metaphase and ana-telophase revealed that the average level of mitotic pathologies was 4.2 ± 0.2% and did not exceed the rate of spontaneous mutation (5%). The mitosis pathologies spectrum is represented by 10 types: chromosome overrun, isolation, fragmentation, ring chromosomes, lagging, bridges, multipolar and chaotic chromosome divergence, micronuclei, complex (multiple) disorders. Micronuclei in cells at the stage of mitotic interphase were found in 53% of the studied seedlings; their proportion varied greatly from 0.1 to 0.8% and averaged 0.12 ± 0.03%. Analysis of cytogenetic parameters of the Pinus sylvestris seedlings offspring revealed high heterogeneity of the seed offspring. According to the results of cluster analysis, several groups were identified, which differed greatly in the number of proliferating cells at the metaphase and ana-telophase stages: the first group – 116.0±5.8 pcs., the second one – 200.4±6.0 pcs. and the third one – 328.8±13.2 pcs. Of particular interest are the seedling cells assigned to the third group, since they have more active cell division, increase the range of disorders types and the proportion of micronuclei, but at the same time, the frequency of mitotic pathologies decreases. The data obtained can probably indicate the airborne industrial pollution genotoxic effect on plants. Such studies on this territory were carried out for the first time, however, in order to understand the mechanisms of the pollutants effect on the cytogenetic parameters of plant organisms, it is necessary to carry out them further, as well as to analyze the state of atmospheric air near the Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill.