Cellular Growth 



131 



A survey of the literature^''*'' on colchicine hints that moie examples 

 could be obtained in which colchicine induces changes not directly 

 correlated with a change in the number ot chromosomes. Obviously 

 hundreds of polyploids have been induced by colchicine. Yet, along- 

 side these majority reports come the difficult cases that appear as 

 anomalous anatomical and morphological deviations. These are cer- 

 tainly problems for futme study. 



4.6: Metabolism and Colchicine 



Physiological studies with colchicine that had some relation to 

 c-mitosis were touched upon briefly in Chapter 3. At the basis of 

 cellular changes such as c-tumors and cell differentiation there must 

 also be phvsiological processes invohing action of colchicine. These 

 are difficult to e\aluate. Howc\er, tests ha\e been run that show 

 colchicine has a capacity to influence certain metabolic processes as 

 iniderstood by special tests. i^^- ^*'-' ^- 



Enzymatic reactions performed /// iiitro proved that the trans- 

 formation of starch by malt diastase was accelerated. The basis for 

 stimulation of this order was not explained, although as a constituent 

 of the reaction medium, colchicine favored the rate of enzymatic 

 action. Increasing the concentration of colchicine increased the rate 

 of reaction correspondingly.^-' 



Diastase activity was scored by quantitative measurements of the 

 increase in sugar (Benedict's solution) . Control \ alues were given 

 at 100.0, and if the reaction time was accelerated, the value accord- 

 ingly fell below 100.0. \Vith each tenfold increase in concentration 

 the rate was increased. V'alues of 84.0 ± 2.5. 78.9 ± 2.5, and 70.3 ± 

 1.7 were obtained for three concentrations, 10 p. p.m., 100 p.ji.m., and 



Fig. 4.10 — Cellular intrusions among the pollen mother cells of Corthamus tinctorios 

 caused by treatment with colchicine. {After Krythe) 



