Mutation activity of Lonicera caerulea population in an active fault zone (the Altai Mountains)

TL;DR

This study investigates how geophysical anomalies in an active fault zone influence mutation activity in Lonicera caerulea, revealing increased mitotic and abnormal cell division rates linked to environmental stressors.

Contribution

It provides the first cytogenetic analysis of plant mutation activity in an active fault zone, connecting geological anomalies with cellular mutation indicators.

Findings

Increased mitotic activity in plants near fault zones

Higher proportion of abnormal mitoses in affected populations

Environmental factors correlate with mutation indicators

Abstract

Geophysical and geochemical anomalies may have a mutagenic effect on plants growing in active fault zones being the factors of evolutionary transformation of plant populations. To test this assumption we evaluated the mutation activity of a Lonicera caerulea natural population in one of the active fault zones in the Altai Mountains. We derived principal cytogenetic indices (i.e., mitotic, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase indices as well as proportion and range of abnormal mitoses) for meristematic cells of Lonicera caerulea seedlings. We found that the local geological and geophysical environment (i.e., mineralogical composition of rocks and anomalies of the magnetic field) increases the mitotic activity and the number of abnormal mitoses in the meristematic cells. The results may help to clarify the role of environmental conditions of tectonically active regions in microevolutionary processes.