Contrary to the constant claims by pesticide manufacturers that no research exists showing harmful health effects, we now have a new French study, showing what most of us have known on a gut level for a long time. Deborah
********************** Chem Res Toxicol 2002 Mar;15(3):326-31 Pesticide Roundup Provokes Cell Division Dysfunction at the Level of CDK1/Cyclin B Activation. Marc J, Mulner-Lorillon O, Boulben S, Hureau D, Durand G, Belle R. Station Biologique de Roscoff, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie (UFR 937), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, UMR 7127), BP 74, 29682 Roscoff Cedex, France. To assess human health risk from environmental chemicals, we have studied the effect on cell cycle regulation of the widely used glyphosate-containing pesticide Roundup. As a model system we have used sea urchin embryonic first divisions following fertilization, which are appropriate for the study of universal cell cycle regulation without interference with transcription. We show that 0.8% Roundup (containing 8 mM glyphosate) induces a delay in the kinetic of the first cell cleavage of sea urchin embryos. The delay is dependent on the concentration of Roundup. The delay in the cell cycle could be induced using increasing glyphosate concentrations (1-10 mM) in the presence of a subthreshold concentration of Roundup 0.2%, while glyphosate alone was ineffective, thus indicating synergy between glyphosate and Roundup formulation products. The effect of Roundup was not lethal and involved a delay in entry into M-phase of the cell cycle, as judged cytologically. Since CDK1/cyclin B regulates universally the M-phase of the cell cycle, we analyzed CDK1/cyclin B activation during the first division of early development. Roundup delayed the activation of CDK1/cyclin B in vivo. Roundup inhibited also the global protein synthetic rate without preventing the accumulation of cyclin B. In summary, Roundup affects cell cycle regulation by delaying activation of the CDK1/cyclin B complex, by synergic effect of glyphosate and formulation products. Considering the universality among species of the CDK1/cyclin B regulator, our results question the safety of glyphosate and Roundup on human health.
