Nature 180, 1059 - 1060 (16 November 1957); doi:10.1038/1801059b0

Relation of Colchicine to Chromosome Breakage

DOUGLAS DAVIDSON

Department of Botany, University of Oxford.

COLCHICINE affects the mitotic spindle in a variety of ways^1–3. It has also been claimed that colchicine will induce chromosome breaks^4,5 ; but this effect has never been confirmed. Chromosome breaks have been found after treatment with old solutions of colchicine, but this action can be attributed to bacterial toxins, which are formed as the solution ages, and not to the colchicine itself⁶.

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