Copper sulphate and DCMU-herbicide treatments increase asymmetry between sister cells in the toxic cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa: implications for detecting environmental stress.
Works correlating fluctuating asymmetry with environmental stress or genetic damages have been largely reported in multicellular organisms but not in single-celled ones. We hypothesize that asymmetry analysis could also be applied to single-celled organisms, because the asymmetry between two sister cells originated from a cellular division event (same genotype in similar environment) must tend to zero in the absence of environmental or genetic perturbations. Laboratory experiments with copper sulphate and DCMU-herbicide treatments as well as experiments in a water reservoir after treatment with copper sulphate algaecide show that environmental stress increases asymmetry between sister cells of Microcystis aeruginosa (Cyanobacteria). Even low Cu(2+) or DCMU doses, which were unable to reduce growth rate, considerably enlarge asymmetry with respect to untreated controls. Asymmetry between sister cells of cyanobacteria seems to be a reliable indicator of environmental perturbation. Analysis of asymmetry in single-celled organisms could become as important as fluctuating asymmetry of multicellular organisms is today.
Costas
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Genética, Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
Lopez-Rodas
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V
D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000737:chemistry*; D019327:Copper Sulfate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004237:Diuron / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D006540:Herbicides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D046931:Microcystis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D006540:Herbicides; D004237:Diuron; D019327:Copper Sulfate