Spontaneous, radiation- and ems-induced somatic pink mutation frequencies in the stamen hairs and petals of a diploid clone of Tradescantia, KU 27

Abstract

Spontaneous and induced somatic pink mutation frequencies in the stamen hairs and petals of the Tradescantia KU 27 clone, which is a blue/pink heterozygote derived from the BNL 02 clone, were studied. The normal blue and mutant pink colors of this diploid KU 27 clone are somewhat darker or deeper and thus more easily distinguished than those of the parental clone, facilitating the detection of pink mutant spots in the petals as well as pink mutant cells in the stamen hairs. The spontaneous mutation frequencies in the stamen hairs and petals of this clone were low and stable, being comparable to those of the BNL 02 clone. The γ- and X-ray-induced mutation frequencies in the stamen hairs of the KU 27 clone were also comparable to those of the BNL 02 clone. However, the KU 27 clone was about two to four times more sensitive to EMS than the BNL 02 clone when induced mutation frequencies in the stamen hairs were compared. It was also found that the frequency of pink mutant spots in the petals of the KU 27 clone tended to fluctuate more greatly than that of pink mutant events in the stamen hairs.