Tradescantia bioassays as monitoring systems for environmental mutagenesis: a review

• Published in: Critical reviews in plant sciences 1997, Vol.16 (4), p.325-359
• Main Authors: Rodrigues, G.S. (Embrapa/CNPMA, Jaguariuna, Sao Paulo, Brazil.), Ma, T.H, Pimentel, D, Weinstein, L.H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AIR POLLUTION; AMENDEMENT DU SOL; ANAEROBIOSE; ANAEROBIOSIS; ANDROCEE; ANDROCEO; ANDROECIUM; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; BIOASSAYS; bioindicator; BIOINDICATORS; Biological and medical sciences; BIOMONITORS; CARENCE MINERALE; CITOGENETICA; CYTOGENETICS; CYTOGENETIQUE; DEFICIENCIA DE MINERALES; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on plants and fungi; ENMIENDAS DEL SUELO; ENSAYO BIOLOGICO; environmental mutagenesis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genotoxicity; INDICATORS; IONIZING RADIATION; LITERATURE REVIEWS; micronuclei; MINERAL DEFICIENCIES; MUTACION; MUTAGENE; MUTAGENOS; MUTAGENS; MUTATION; NOYAU CELLULAIRE; NUCLEI; NUCLEO; NUCLEUS; PESTICIDE; PESTICIDES; PLAGUICIDAS; POLLUTION ATMOSPHERIQUE; POLLUTION DE L'EAU; POLLUTION DU SOL; POLUCION DEL AGUA; POLUCION DEL AIRE; POLUCION DEL SUELO; RADIACION; RADIACION IONIZANTE; RADIATION; RADIATION IONISANTE; RADIO WAVES; SOIL AMENDMENTS; SOIL POLLUTION; stamen hair mutation; STAMENS; TEST BIOLOGIQUE; TRADESCANTIA; WATER POLLUTION
• ISSN: 0735-2689; 1549-7836
• DOI: 10.1080/07352689709701953

Since the early studies on the genetic effects of chemical and physical agents, species and clones of Tradescantia have been used as experimental subjects, by virtue of a series of favorable genetic characteristics. Bearing just six pairs (2n = 12) of large, easily observable chromosomes, cells from almost every part of the plant, from the root tips to the developing pollen tube, yield excellent material for cytogenetic studies. As a consequence of the intensive use of Tradescantia in genetic studies, a series of genetic characteristics have been found that offer opportunities for the detection of agents affecting the stability of the genome. At least five such characteristics have been selected as endpoints for the establishment of assays to evaluate mutagenesis. Three of these, root-tip mitosis, pollen-tube, and microspore mitosis are essentially chromosome aberration assays, wherein one observes and evaluates the visible damage in the chromosomes. A fourth, the stamen-hair mutation assay (Trad-SHM), is a point mutation mitotic assay based on the expression of a recessive gene for flower color in heterozygous plants. The fifth assay is a cytogenetic test based on the formation of micronuclei (Trad-MCN) that result from chromosome breakage in the meiotic pollen mother cells. This article examines the characteristics and fundamentals of the Trad-MCN and the Trad-SHM assays and reviews the results obtained to date with these systems in the assessment of environmental mutagenesis.