F-53B interferes with meiosis and damages reproduction in Arabidopsis thaliana

• F-53B impairs embryo development and gametogenesis in Arabidopsis. • F-53B interferes with chromosome segregation and distribution during male meiosis. • F-53B interferes with meiotic microtubule organization. • F-53B reduces meiotic crossover formation. • F-53B reduces DNA double-strand breaks in meiocytes. The emerging contaminant chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonic acid (Cl-PFESA, trade name F-53B) damages mitotic cell viability leading to inhibited vegetative development in plants. However, its impact on plant reproductive development remains elusive. In this study, by using a combination of cytogenetic and microscopic approaches, we analyzed gametogenesis and meiosis in Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) exposed to F-53B (50 or 100 μM). We show that F-53B disrupts embryo development and gametogenesis leading to reduced fertility. Moreover, F-53B interferes with chromosome distribution and microtubule organization during male meiosis. Remarkably, we show that F-53B lowers crossover rate possibly by reducing double-strand break formation. This study unveils the toxicity of F-53B to gametophytic cell viability and meiosis in plants, which highlights the concerns on its potential threats to agricultural safety and biological diversity considering its global distribution at a wide range of environmental matrices.