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F Degrassi

Publications and source records attributed to F Degrassi.

46 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Indirect mitotic nondisjunction in Vicia faba and Chinese hamster cells.

The hypothesis of indirect mitotic nondisjunction was tested in plant and mammalian cells. This hypothesis states that micronuclei derived from lagging chromosomes or chromatids are able to perform DNA synthesis and undergo mitotic condensation synchronously with main nuclei. Hence, as chromosomes, they can be moved to spindle poles together with the chromosomes of the main nuclei during mitosis. In that way chromosomes "lost" as micronuclei can be reincorporated in the main nuclei. In order to test this, both Vicia faba meristematic cells and cells of a Chinese hamster line (Cl-1) were treated with low doses of colchicine. Mitotic anomalies, micronuclei and cells with a polyploid or aneuploid karyotype were scored at different fixation times. A detailed analysis was performed on single chromosome misdistributions, as well as on micronuclei and cells with aneuploid karyotypes derived from single chromosome misdistributions. Indirect mitotic nondisjunction was shown to play a primary role in the origin of aneuploid karyotypes in Vicia faba, but not in Cl-1 cells.

Animals↗

Induction of chromosomal aberrations and SCE by camptothecin, an inhibitor of mammalian topoisomerase I.

The induction of chromosomal aberrations and sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) was studied in human lymphocyte cultures treated with camptothecin (CM), an inhibitor of mammalian topoisomerase I. While no chromosome-type aberrations were found in G1-treated cells, instead there was a dose-dependent induction of chromatid-type aberrations. These types of chromosomal alteration were not induced during the treatment itself but during the S phase, as CM is not efficiently removed with the normal washing procedure after treatment.

Camptothecin↗

Immunofluorescent staining of kinetochores in micronuclei: a new assay for the detection of aneuploidy.

The immunofluorescent staining of kinetochores in micronuclei with antikinetochore antibodies was used to develop an in vitro assay for aneuploidy-inducing agents. The results show that about 80% of micronuclei induced by either colchicine or chloral hydrate contained kinetochores; only 9% of X-ray-induced micronuclei reacted positively to the antibody. These findings indicate that the in vitro micronucleus assay coupled with immunofluorescent staining of kinetochores can be a useful method for assessing the ability of chemicals to induce aneuploidy and/or chromosome aberrations.

Aneuploidy↗

Effect of post-treatments with caffeine during G2 on the frequencies of chromosome-type aberrations produced by X-rays in human lymphocytes during G0 and G1.

Human lymphocytes were irradiated with X-rays in G0 and G1, grown in the presence of 5-bromodeoxyuridine, and harvested at different times from 48 to 80 h after stimulation. Some cultures were exposed to 2.5-5 mM caffeine during the last 3 h before harvesting. The frequencies of chromosome-type aberrations were scored in first division (M1) metaphases. The post-treatment with caffeine increased the frequencies of mitoses and chromosome-type aberrations in irradiated cultures. The results suggest that cells carrying chromosome-type aberrations are delayed in G2 and that caffeine increases the frequencies of aberrations in dividing cells by removing this G2-block.

Caffeine↗

Biological monitoring of workers in the rubber industry. I. Chromosomal aberrations and sister-chromatid exchanges in lymphocytes of vulcanizers.

To evaluate the possible genetic consequences of the industrial exposure among the vulcanizers of a rubber plant we measured the in vivo levels of chromosomal aberrations and sister-chromatid exchanges in peripheral lymphocytes of 34 vulcanizers and in an adequate control population. The observed chromosomal aberration frequencies were 1.9 +/- 1.4 aberrations/100 cells in the exposed group and 2.1 +/- 1.5 aberrations/100 cells in the controls. No difference was found between the two groups for the mean value of sister-chromatid exchanges (5.2 +/- 1.3 in the exposed, 5.2 +/- 0.7 in the control group). Cigarette-smoking was clearly associated with increased sister-chromatid exchange frequencies both in the exposed and in the control groups, while chromosomal aberration frequencies were not correlated with smoking habits.

Chromosome Aberrations↗

Enhancement of induced sister chromatid exchange and chromosomal aberrations by inhibitors of DNA repair processes.

The effect of post-treatment with inhibitors of DNA synthesis (hydroxyurea, aphidicolin) and repair (caffeine, 3-aminobenzamide) on the frequencies of chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) induced by mitomycin C and decarbamoyl mitomycin C both in Chinese hamster cells and in human lymphocytes in vitro has been studied. The data show that in the case of Chinese hamster and human lymphocytes mitomycin C-treated cells there is an increased frequency of both chromosomal aberrations and SCE after a G2 post-treatment with the inhibitors, while no increase is observed for decarbamoyl mitomycin C-treated cells. Since SCE are DNA synthesis-dependent phenomenon, an increase in the frequency of SCE also in the G2 phase might suggest that after mitomycin C treatment there is a residual DNA synthesis still going on very late in the cell cycle.

Animals↗

Formation of chromatid-type aberrations in G2 stage of the cell cycle.

CHO cells were treated in G1 stage of the cell cycle with chromosome-breaking agents that act in an S-dependent manner. The cells were challenged in G2 stage, before fixation, with various inhibitors of DNA synthesis or repair. Short-wave UV, mitomycin C, decarbomyl mitomycin and 4-nitroquinoline oxide (4NQO) were used as chromosome-breaking agents. The inhibitors of DNA repair or synthesis used were hydroxyurea, aphidicolin and caffeine. Permeabilization of cells followed by a treatment with Neurospora endonuclease (a treatment to convert DNA single-strand breaks into double-strand breaks) did not have any influence on the frequencies of chromatid aberrations induced by the chemicals used, whereas with the inhibitors the extent of potentiation varied depending on the mutagen and the inhibitor used.

Animals↗

Effects of aphidicolin on repair replication and induced chromosomal aberrations in mammalian cells.

The influence of aphidicolin, an inhibitor of polymerase alpha, on UV-induced repair replication in human skin fibroblasts, as well as in HeLa cells, was determined. In growing fibroblasts and in HeLa cells, aphidicolin had a potentiating effect on UV-induced repair replication, whereas in fibroblasts grown to confluency, aphidicolin had an inhibitory effect. This inhibitory effect was stronger when measured in the presence of hydroxyurea. In HeLa cells the presence of both aphidicolin and hydroxyurea also had an inhibitory effect, but in the presence of hydroxyurea alone, UV-induced repair replication was enhanced. The results of these studies can be explained on the basis of differences in deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate pool sizes in growing and confluent cells. Post-treatment of X-irradiated human lymphocytes in the G0 and G1 stages with aphidicolin increased the frequencies of X-ray-induced chromosomal aberrations. Such an increase was not observed in G1 cells of CHO after similar treatment with X-rays and aphidicolin. However, treatment with aphidicolin, in the G2 stage, of CHO cells that had been exposed to UV or alkylating agents in the G1 stage increased the frequencies of induced chromatid breaks. The significance of these results is discussed.

Animals↗

Chromosomal aberrations induced by restriction endonucleases.

Restriction endonucleases (REs) are able to induce chromosomal aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The G1 phase of the cell cycle seems to be especially sensitive for the induction of chromosomal aberrations by REs. The different capacities of REs to induce chromosomal aberrations are probably correlated with the number of recognition sites in the genome.

Animals↗