title: Spent Pot Liner (SPL) induced DNA damage and nuclear alterations in root tip cells of Allium cepa as a consequence of programmed cell death.
abstract: There are various toxic effects of environmental pollutants, including apoptosis and carcinogenesis. Spent Pot Liner (SPL) is solid waste from the aluminum industry. It has a highly variable composition, including cyanide, fluoride, organics and metals. Preliminary characterizations of the effect of SPL on Allium cepa show the presence of condensed nuclei. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the toxic effect of SPL in A. cepa root meristem in the context of programmed cell death (PCD). A lot of specific features of this process such as DNA fragmentation, condensed chromatin, spherical nuclei and the formation of apoptotic-like bodies were observed in root meristem after SPL treatment. Root meristem treated with SPL 25% solution exhibited an alteration in antioxidant enzyme activities; a reduction in NCR as a consequence of high percentage of condensed nuclei; DNA fragmentation, detected by electrophoresis and TUNEL assay; cytoplasm vacuolization and also a disturbance in root morphology. These features are associated with programmed cell death (PCD) under abiotic stress. Therefore, these data show that SPL induces apoptosis-like PCD in root meristem cells of A. cepa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Federal University of Lavras, Box 3730, CEP 37200-000 Lavras-MG, Brazil. larissa_lavras@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Andrade-Vieira
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Gedraite
authors.forename: J M S
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Davide
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000633:toxicity*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003486:Cyanides / Q000633:toxicity; D004249:DNA Damage; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D007220:Industrial Waste; D018519:Meristem / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019697:Onions / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D003486:Cyanides; D007220:Industrial Waste; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D000535:Aluminum