Cytomixis in angiosperms from Northwestern Argentina

ABSTRACT

Cytomixis consists of the migration of chromatin and/or organelles between proximate cells through intercellular channels. Cytomixis has been detected in 10 taxa belonging to seven families from northwestern Argentina (NWA). The aim of this work was to report the presence of cytomixis in different species, genera and families of angiosperms from NWA. Plant material was collected from different localities. Floral buds were fixed and stained using classical cytogenetic techniques. Cytomixis was observed in both meiotic divisions and was characterized by the connection and passage of substance between two or more cells. Meiotic irregularities, such as agglutinated chromosomes, lagging chromosomes, the formation of bridges, micronuclei, pyknosis were observed in the studied taxa which resulted into the formation of monads, dyads, pentads, and hexads during microsporogenesis. In one of the species, Piper hieronymi, formation of unreduced 2 n pollen grains was also recorded. In this paper, we also provided the lists of 84 families of angiosperms where the phenomenon of cytomixis has been reported so far in the literature. The current paper adds some families and genera where the phenomenon of cytomixis has been reported for the first time.

KEYWORDS:

• Chromatin transfer
• cytomictic channels
• meiosis
• pollen mother cell
• meiotic abnormalities

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Fundación Miguel Lillo for funding collection trips. Lic. Asesor Patricia performed the maps. The authors are very grateful to the Director, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata and Head of Office, NRC, Dehradun for necessary internet and library facilities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contribution

Páez V. A. and Andrada A. R.: the idea and project coordination, field and/or laboratory research, drafting of the manuscript.

All the other authors: processing and analysis of field and laboratory data and preparing, checking selected parts of the manuscript.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

The authors thank the Miguel Lillo Foundation for financing the collection trips: project B-0013-1.