Re: HYB: Colchicine
- Subject: Re: [iris-talk] HYB: Colchicine
- From: K* W*
- Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 21:17:59 -0800
From: Kenneth Walker <kenww@pacbell.net>
> From: Haggstroms <hagg@alaska.net>
>
> I guess that's not surprising: if a substance can alter the genes of a plant, there's
> a chance it will do the same in animals (humans). It sounds like it needs to be
> treated very respectfully and carefully.
Colchicine doesn't technically alter the genes themselves. During normal cell
division,the chromosomes divide first, then the cell splits into two cells, each getting
one set.
Colchicine works by stopping the cell from splitting after the chromosomes divide.
This results in a cell with twice the number of chromosomes as usual. Plants cells
seem relatively tolerant of extra chromosomes. Animal cells are not! Downs Syndrome
is caused an extra copy of one particular chromosome in all a persons cells. I don't
recall if humans cells can even live with a duplicate of any other chromosome. From
what I've read, giving plant cells the right dose for the right length time to get extra
chromosomes without completely killing them can be tricky and varies between species.
Colchicine is derived from the seeds and bulbs of meadow saffron, Colchicum autumnale.
Needless to say, they are poisonous.
Ken Walker
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