Validity of simplified scoring methods of somatic mutations in Tradescantia stamen hairs

Abstract

In order to improve the time-consuming traditional scoring method of somatic mutations in Tradescantia stamen hairs, several simplified scoring methods were tested and compared for their statistical accuracy. For determining the number of pink mutant events per hair, it was found to be sufficient to count the number of hairs only on two oppositely located stamens, rather than counting those on all of the six stamens of each flower. For obtaining the number of pink mutant events per hair-cell division, it was also found to be sufficient to count the number of cells per hair (on 10 representative hairs each of two oppositely located stamens) for every two flowers, rather than for every flower. With these simplified scoring methods, it is possible to reduce the laboratory working time to about 60%, or to process about 1.7 times more samples during the same working time, resulting in little impairment to statistical reliability.