Peroxide pretreatment of Vicia faba root-tip meristems results in ‘clastogenic adaptation’ to maleic hydrazide but not to TEM

Abstract

Summary Hydrogen peroxide and tert.-butyl hydroperoxide applied in non-toxic doses prior to ‘challenge’ treatment of Vicia faba root-tip meristems with maleic hydrazide (MH), significantly reduced the aberration yield induced by MH. No such effect was observed when TEM was used for ‘challenge’ treatment. The data obtained are interpreted as indicating that both the peroxides and MH induce oxidative DNA lesions (radical formation) which eventually result in structural changes in the chromatids. ‘Conditioning’ treatment with the peroxides is supposed to induce an error-free repair system in plant root-tip meristems which protects against MH damage.