Ethidium bromide-An efficient mutagen in higher plants

A. Levy*, A. Ashri

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The acridine compound, ethidium bromide (EB) was compared to ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) and proved to be an efficient mutagen in peanuts, Arachis hypogaea L. Solutions of 0.63 mM and 1.26 mM (250 and 500 mg/l, respectively) of EB were used to induce mutations in developing embryos and mature seeds of four cultivars of peanuts, by soaking them for 24-168 h. The M1, M2, M3, and where necessary the M4 generations were studied. Chlorophyll, leaflet, plant size and growth habit mutation yields and spectra were compared to those induced by EMS (19.33 mM, 38.66 mM and 58.0 mM, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6%, respectively). The mutagenic efficiency of EB was much higher than that of EMS. Treatments of developing embryos produced larger chimeras in the M1 and resulted in higher mutation rates. There were differences in the mutation spectra between EMS and EB: the latter induced most frequently plant size mutations followed by chlorophyll mutations while for EMS the opposite was true. There were spectra differences also between the stages treated. Growth habit mutations which may be cytoplasmic or nuclear were induced by both mutagens and a breeding test has been developed to check their nature. Since EB has a different chemical mode of action than EMS, is stable in solution and proved to be a very efficient mutagen, it appears very promising and should be tried in other higher plants.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)397-404
Number of pages8
JournalMutation Research - Genetic Toxicology Testing and Biomonitoring of Environmental or Occupational Exposure
Volume28
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1975

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