This study evaluated direct and metabolic genotoxic effects caused by Lannate-90®, a methomyl-based formulation (90 % active ingredient), in human lymphocyte cultures using sister chromatid exchange assay (SCE). Two processes were used for the plant promutagens evaluation: in vivo activation, applying the insecticide systemically in plants for 4 h and subsequently adding plant metabolites conta...

X-ray CT is a powerful technology to study root growth in soil in-situ. Root systems can be studied in its true 3D geometry over time. Hence, the same plant can be scanned multiple times during development. A downside is the potential of X-rays to interfere with biological processes and therefore plant growth. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of cumulative X-ray dose on Vicia ...

The symbiotic partnerships between legumes and their root-nodule bacteria (rhizobia) vary widely in their degree of specificity, but the underlying reasons are not understood. To assess the potential for host-range evolution, we have investigated microheterogeneity among the shared symbionts of a group of related legume species. Host specificity and genetic diversity were characterized for a so...

We present a computer assisted method for the examination of the structural changes present in the probe organism Vicia faba exposed to inorganic arsenic, detected by means of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Fourier transform near infrared (FTNIR) spectroscopy. Like the common ecotoxicological tests, the method is based on the comparison among control and exposed sample spectra of the org...

During an electron microscopic investigation of mitosis in the meristematic cells of Allium cepa and Vida faba, a particulate component of distinctive character has been observed in many nudeoli. The most striking feature of these granules in thin sections of osmium-fixed material (1) is their great electron density which makes them stand out dearly from the rest of the nudeolar material (Fig. ...

Stomatal movement results in large and repetitive changes in cell volume and consequently surface area. While endocytosis has been extensively studied and is thought to be a major mechanism for accommodating the volume changes as evidenced mainly by fluorescent labelling and confocal imaging, studies at the ultrastructural level in intact guard cells of stomata regulated by natural factors have...

Copper (Cu) toxicity on plants has become a major problem with increasing agricultural and environmental pollution. The effect of Cu on NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity, commonly employed as a marker for nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and nitric oxide (NO) production, was investigated in root tips of Vicia faba L. We found that Cu stress stunted root growth and development of root hair...