Radiation-induced Mutation and Mutant Screening on Calluses of Anthurium andraeanum

Calluses from Anthurium andraeanum (Alabama) were exposed to ⁶⁰Co-γ rays to induce mutation on the tissue. Based on the color changes on the leaves and flowers, resulting mutants were selected among the regenerated plants. Subsequently, the morphological, cellular and molecular properties of the selected mutants and their parents were analyzed. The half-lethal dose of ⁶⁰Co γ-ray on the callus was found to be close to 30 Gy. Treated by the dosage, the mutated M₁ and M₂ generations showed similar traits. They had a chromosome number same as that of the parents. But, they differed from the parents in RAPD on the D-751 primer that had a sequence of CCCACCACAC. Since the mutants could consistently pass on the inherited genes to the regenerated protoplasts, theoretically, successful breeding of mutated plants from A. andraeanum by irradiation treatment could be expected in practice.