Somaclonal variation is induced de novo via the tissue culture process: a study quantifying mutated cells in Saintpaulia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The origin of somaclonal variation has not been questioned previously, i.e., "pre-existing mutations" in explants and "newly induced mutations" arising from the tissue culture process have not been distinguished. This is primarily because there has been no reliable molecular method for estimating or quantifying variation.

Methodology/principal findings

We adopted a petal-variegated cultivar of Saintpaulia 'Thamires' (Saintpaulia sp.) as the model plant. Based on the difference between the pre- and post-transposon excision sequence of the promoter region of flavonoid 3', 5'-hydoroxylase (F3'5'H), we estimated mutated (transposon-excised) cell percentages using a quantitative real-time PCR. Mutated cell percentages in leaf laminae used as explants was 4.6 and 2.4% i

SUBMITTER: Sato M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3154937 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature