Incorporation of Benzanthrone into the Nuclei of Gyrodinium sp and the Heredith of Consequent Mitotic Delays

Abstract

Benzanthrone added to ASP2NTA medium was incorporated in a short period, mainly into the thecae and the crude nuclei of Gyrodinium sp. The benzanthrone incorporated into purified nuclei was less, but less concentration amounted to 800 times as large as the initial 1ppm concentration of the medium. Benzanthrone in purified nuclei was extremely hard to remove and was presumed to intercalate between DNA base pairs. Since Gyrodinium sp. Separated from the medium containing benzanthrone continued to propagate, showing mitotic delays over three to five generations at least in the normal medium, the mitotic delay caused by benzanthrone was concluded to be of a hereditary nature.