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The mutagenicity of Gramoxone (paraquat) on different eukaryotic systems
A Z el-Abidin Salam1, E H Hussein, H A el-Itriby
1Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Abstract:
The possible mutagenicity of the herbicide Gramoxone was evaluated using five different living systems: Allium cepa, Vicia faba, yeast, Drosophila melanogaster and human lymphocytes. The results indicate that Gramoxone has mutagenic activity at the cytological level in Allium cepa, Vicia faba and human lymphocytes. All doses were effective in inducing chromosomal abnormalities and a clear dose-response relationship was observed in the various cytological tests. Analysis of chromosomal abnormalities revealed that this herbicide displays clastogenic and turbagenic activities. At the gene mutation level Gramoxone induced gene conversion at the trp-5 locus and reversion at the ilv locus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In Drosophila melanogaster, Gramoxone proved to be mutagenic to germ cells and induced a high frequency of sex-linked recessive lethals (SLRL). At the protein level, Gramoxone had detectable mutagenic effects on the genetic background of two enzymes, Adh and Est-6. Gramoxone should be considered a mutagenic herbicide.
Insights
The herbicide Gramoxone is mutagenic, causing DNA damage and gene mutations across multiple test systems. This study confirms its mutagenic potential in plants, yeast, fruit flies, and human cells.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Toxicology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Herbicides are widely used in agriculture, necessitating evaluation of their potential health and environmental risks.
- Understanding the mutagenic potential of herbicides like Gramoxone is crucial for risk assessment and regulatory oversight.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively assess the mutagenicity of the herbicide Gramoxone.
- To evaluate Gramoxone's effects across diverse biological systems at different levels of genetic organization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized five distinct test systems: Allium cepa (onion), Vicia faba (broad bean), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast), Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), and human lymphocytes.
- Assessed cytological damage (chromosomal abnormalities), gene mutations (gene conversion, reversion), germ cell mutations (sex-linked recessive lethals), and protein-level effects (enzyme genetic background).
Main Results:
- Gramoxone demonstrated significant mutagenic activity at the cytological level in Allium cepa, Vicia faba, and human lymphocytes, inducing chromosomal abnormalities in a dose-dependent manner.
- The herbicide induced gene conversion and reversion mutations in yeast and a high frequency of sex-linked recessive lethals in Drosophila melanogaster germ cells.
- Mutagenic effects were also observed at the protein level, impacting the genetic background of Adh and Est-6 enzymes.
Conclusions:
- Gramoxone exhibits clear mutagenic activity across multiple living systems and at various biological levels.
- The herbicide displays both clastogenic (chromosome-breaking) and turbagenic (disrupting spindle formation) activities.
- Based on the evidence, Gramoxone should be classified as a mutagenic herbicide, warranting careful consideration of its use.