Abstract
1. 1. Barley seeds (karyopses) were treated with solutions of diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEP), and the biological effects during germination were observed. 2. 2. With increasing concentration of DEP, an increasing fraction of the seeds shows complete inhibition of germination. The surviving seedlings show practically no inhibition of growth rate. 3. 3. On the cellular level the following effects were observed: Chromosome breaks (low frequency), no exchanges, cells with single-stranded chromosomes, haploid cells, aneuploid cells, tripolar spindles, chromosome contraction. In a previous communication a certain sterility, but no mutation, was reported. The former may have some relation to haploid and aneuploid cells. 4. 4. Post-irradiation treatment with DEP was found to increase the frequencies of γ-ray and neutron induced chromosome breaks, and to decrease the frequency of γ-ray induced two-hit effects. Neutron induced two-hit effects were not affected. These effects are similar to those of such antimetabolites as Myleran, FUDR, and aminopterin. 5. 5. The results are briefly discussed considering the biochemical effects of DEP: a general reactivity towards proteins leading to enzyme inactivation, whereas nucleic acids are left intact under the same conditions of treatment.
Published Version
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