Cytogenetic and epigenetic alterations by cobalt and nickel onZea maysL

Abstract

Changes in DNA methylation in Zea mays plantlets in response to cobalt and nickel (5, 10, 20 and 40 mmol L -1 ) evaluated by the coupled restriction enzyme digestion-random amplification technique revealed dose-related increases in hypermethylation. The effects on mitotic index and phytohormone levels were also determined. Co and Ni caused a decrease in mitotic index and an attenuation in the growth-promoting hormones gibberellic acid, zeatin and indole acetic acid, while abscisic acid levels rose. These findings have shown that the increase in abscisic acid levels and DNA methylation depend on the concentrations of Co and Ni.

Multigenerational Exposure to WCCo Nanomaterials—Epigenetics in the Soil Invertebrate Enchytraeus crypticus

“…However, we did not measure epigenetic effects at the time. Nevertheless, the effects of Co on epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation were shown in other species such as plants [ 20 , 21 ] and humans [ 22 ], for example, causing changes in histone modifications in human cells [ 23 ]. Further, it was also shown that cobalt-chrome NPs have genotoxicity in human cells [ 24 , 25 , 26 ] and that this genotoxicity may be caused through epigenetic mechanisms [ 27 ].…”