METHOD FOR INTRODUCING GENETIC MUTATIONS INTO PLANT CELLS

摘要

The present invention provides a method for introducing genetic mutations into the genome of plant cells, comprising the steps of: (i.) suppressing the activity of at least one endogenous system of DNA repair in said at least one plant cell; (ii.) exposing said at least one plant cell to at least one mutagenic agent. In particular embodiments of the present invention the mismatch repair system is suppressed in said plant cell, and a DNA-alkylating agent is used for mutagenesis. The present invention aspires to enable the generation of libraries of mutants of various plant species, wherein a greater proportion of the genes will be containing a mutation, and wherein a greater number of different phenotypes will be obtained than achieved using current methods. This effect of the present invention will help close the 'phenotypic gap' present in the existing libraries of plant mutants.