Influences of the environment on plant genome dynamics

A biomonitoring system was established in the model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum which allows detection and quantification of point mutation and homologous recombination events in the whole organism. The use of DNA break-inducing agents and UV demonstrated the feasibility of using the model plants transgenic for recombination substrates for detection and analysis of mutants altered in the frequency of somatic homologous recombination events and in reporting environmental influences on chromosome dynamics. The environmental impacts analyzed included gamma radiation, UV, toxic heavy metals and plant pathogens in the form of fungi, viruses and elicitors mimicking pathogen attack. Data collected will be compared to those originating from mutagenesis assays in other organisms. (author)