Genetic basis for using Tradescantia clone 4430 as an environmental monitor of mutagens

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · J. Hered.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5705274

Emmerling-Thompson, M; Nawrocky, M M

The Tradescantia stamen hair system developed by the late Dr. Arnold H. Sparrow has been used in a wide variety of radiobiological studies, and more recently as an environmental monitor for assessing the potential genetic hazards of various gaseous chemicals of both industrial and natural origin. The use of this system as a genetic monitor necessitates a thorough genetic analysis of the marker employed to measure mutagenicity. The phenotypic change in color from blue to pink in either petal or stamen hair cells has been used as a genetic marker under the assumption that the petal and stamen hair cells are heterozygous for blue, and if the dominant allele for blue color mutates or is lost, the recessive allele determines that the daughter cells will be pink. It is the purpose of this communication to present the results of genetic tests by conventional breeding methods involving the pink locus in Tradescantia clone 4430, the diploid clone used exclusively in the Mobile Monitoring Vehicle at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Confirmation of a genetic, as opposed to a physiological, origin of the pink color in the petal and stamen hair cells of Tradescantia clone 4430 is essential to evaluating the validity of this test system.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY
• OSTI ID: 5705274
• Journal Information: J. Hered.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Hered.; (United States) Vol. 71; ISSN JOHEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560303* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY
CHROMOSOMES
CLONING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
FLOWERS
GENES
GENETIC EFFECTS
GENETIC VARIABILITY
MEASURING METHODS
MORPHOLOGY
MUTAGEN SCREENING
MUTAGENS
MUTATION FREQUENCY
PHYSIOLOGY
PLANTS
SCREENING
TRADESCANTIA