THE SLIDER TURTLE AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL SENTINEL - MULTIPLE TISSUE-ASSAYS USING FLOW CYTOMETRIC ANALYSIS

We used flow cytometry (FCM) to conduct a multiple-tissue assay on sli der turtles (Trachemys scripta) inhabiting radioactive seepage basins. Duplicate samples of blood, heart, spleen and kidney were analysed on two different cytometers (Leitz MPV and Coulter Profile II), each emp loying distinct staining protocols (DAPI and PI, respectively). Both D API and PI assays of spleen cells demonstrated significantly greater v ariation in DNA content for the basin turtles than for 'control' anima ls from nearby, uncontaminated sites. Basin turtles also exhibited sig nificant cell-cycle effects for blood and spleen, again revealed by bo th assays. These corroborative findings demonstrate the consistency an d repeatability of FCM assays in environmental monitoring and identify the particularly sensitive nature of turtle blood and spleen to mutag enic agents. Our survey complements previous FCM studies on sliders fr om contaminated sites and thereby underscores the species' potential a s a sentinel for biomarker assays.