Detection of chemically induced aneuploidy by the Vicia faba root tip assay

Six chemicals selected for their ability to induce aneuploidy in short-term bioassays were tested for their aneuploidy-inducing potential in the Vicia faba root assay system. Para-fluorophenylalanine, griseofulvin, maleic hydrazide, lithium chloride, and cyclophosphamide all induced significant levels of hyperdiploidy in V. faba root tip cells. Lithium chloride and sodium azide were negative for hyperdiploidy induction. In addition to the numerical loss or gain in chromosome number, the chemicals induced other specific chromosomal effects, possibly indicating different mechanisms by which these chemicals bring about genomic imbalance. Judging from the lowest effective aneuploidy-inducing dose of each chemical, the V. faba root tip assay system appears to be a sensitive and promising tool for evaluating the potential of chemicals to induce aneuploidy.