Mercury-induced segregational errors of chromosomes in human lymphocytes and in Indian muntjac cells

Segregational errors of chromosomes were studied in human lymphocytes and in Indian muntjac fibroblasts exposed to methylmercury chloride (CH3HgCl) or mercury chloride (HgCl2). The cells were exposed to the mercury compounds only during a limited period of the pre-DNA synthetic stage of the cell cycle or from that stage up to mitosis. In the lymphocytes we observed a clear increase of C-mitotic figures for both mercury compounds and for both exposure times. Segregational errors were, however, much more important after the shorter exposure period. Muntjac fibroblasts appear to be more sensitive to the mercury than are the lymphocytes so that their suitability for the study of C-mitosis may be questionable. The muntjac cells may be an important tool for the study of polyploidy induction.