Figure 1.
A strategy for meristematic mutagenesis, chimera dissolution and mutation recovery in vegetatively propagated banana. Clonally propagated isogenic plants are prepared through 10 rounds of in vitro multiplication. Shoot apical meristems are isolated and soaked in EMS, then allowed to recover for 1 month. Individuals from the first vegetative generation (M1V1) are propagated through meristem isolation and longitudinal bisection to produce the M1V2 generation. Successive rounds of isolation and division are performed to reduce genotypic heterogeneity, and the number of individuals approximately doubles each generation. Tissue is collected from M1V6 individuals, and DNA is extracted and screened for induced mutations. The inheritance of isolated mutations is evaluated in the M1V6 and subsequent generations, allowing for estimations of the rate of chimera dissolution.