Application of ion beams to plant breeding science

イオンビームを用いた植物育種研究

田中 淳

Tanaka, Atsushi

We have first investigated the characteristics of ion beams on the mutation induction. Novel mutants such as UV-B resistant, serrated petals and sepals, etc. have been induced by 220 MeV carbon ions in Arabidopsis. In chrysanthemum and carnation, several kinds of flower-color and flower-form mutants that have never produced by rays or X rays were also induced by carbon ions. Mutation frequencies induced by carbon ions were 20-fold higher than those by electrons, respectively. It is, therefore, indicated that the characteristics of ion beams for the mutation induction show high mutation frequency and broad mutation spectrum. On the other hands, DNA sequencing analysis showed that half of mutants induced by ion beams possessed large DNA alterations, while the rest had point-like mutations. It is plausible that ion beams induce limited number of large and irreparable DNA damage, resulting in effectively producing null mutation that shows new mutant phenotype.