Lithium Alters Mitotic Progression in Stamen Hair Cells of Tradescantia in a Time-Dependent and Reversible Fashion
October 1987
in “
PubMed
”
TLDR Lithium temporarily stops cell division in plant cells, but this can be reversed with certain chemicals.
The study found that lithium chloride (LiCl) altered the mitotic progression in stamen hair cells of Tradescantia in a time-dependent and reversible manner. Treatment with 50 µM to 1 mM LiCl during late prophase caused over 80% of cells to fail to enter metaphase, with many becoming arrested in metaphase. This arrest could be reversed by adding 10 µM myo-inositol or 100 µM CaCl2, with CaCl2 acting faster. The study suggested that myo-inositol and Ca2+ might influence different biochemical pathways necessary for anaphase onset. Additionally, LiCl treatment in mid-late-metaphase arrested chromosome separation, which could also be reversed by myo-inositol or CaCl2.
