Flower pigment mutations induced by heavy ion beam irradiation in an interspecific hybrid of Torenia

Abstract

The use of heavy ion beams is an effective method for inducing mutations in plants. After irradiation with beams of Nitrogen (N) or Neon (Ne), the frequency of flower color mutants increased through the regeneration of stem or leaf without lateral meristem in an interspecific hybrid of Torenia. From anthocyanin assay results, mutants were divided into two groups. One group involved the deletion of the blue gene (DFR). The other group involved the deletion or duplication of a gene related to pigment production. The results show that heavy ion beams are effective in obtaining artificial mutants. Copyright © 2006 The Japanese Society for Plant Cell and Molecular Biology.