Analysis of EMS induced <i style="">in vitro</i> mutants of <i style="">Asteracantha longifolia</i> (L.) Nees using RAPD markers

Abstract

Ethyl methyl sulfonate (EMS) treated leaf explants were grown <i style="">in vitro</i> on MS medium fortified with BA (8.88 µ<i style="">M</i>) and NAA (2.69 µ<i style="">M</i>). A total of 24 mutants including 4 dwarf mutants, 7 leaf mutants and 13 flower mutants, selected in IM₁ culture generation, were analyzed at morphological, phytochemical and molecular level. Morphological analysis of mutants revealed significant variation in plant height (18.6 to 42.3 cm), internode length (2.2 to 5.82), leaf size and morphology, number of inflorescence (4 to 10), flower colour (white to violet) and phytosterol content (0.033 to 0.0467 mg/g). RAPD analysis involving 30 primers generated 185 amplified products; of which, 86 (46.73%) were polymorphic in nature. Jaccards similarity coefficient matrix between mutant lines <i style="">inter se</i> and with control plant ranges from 0.636 to 0.881. UPGMA based unrooted tree grouped all 24 mutant lines and control plant into two major clusters, which were sub-clustered into four, and the pattern well corresponded to the flower colour as well as phytosterol content data baring two mutant lines ALM-12 and ALM-13.