No effect of vanadate on the centromere separation sequence

Alteration of the centromere separation sequence may lead to aneuploidy and may be an indicator of chromosome instability. The aim of this study was to examine whether this phenomenon could be influenced by a factor known to affect cell division. Human lymphocyte cultures were exposed to Na-vanadate in various concentrations and durations. As compared to controls, the inhibitory effect of vanadate manifested itself in a decrease of mitotic index values but the centromere separation sequences remained unchanged, i.e. chromosomes 2, 17-18 were the first, 1, 16 and the acrocentrics the last to separate in both the control and vanadate-treated cultures. The findings support the suggestion that the centromere separation sequence is hardly influenced by environmental factors but rather is a species specific, genetically determined phenomenon.