A non-destructive selection method for resistance to fusicoccin in Arabidopsis thaliana

A mutagenised population of seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana was allowed to germinate in the presence of the positively charged aminoglycoside hygromycin (4 mu g/ml) and the fungal toxin fusicoccin (5x10(-6) M). This hygromycin concentration, which is nontoxic by itself, becomes toxic when used together with fusicoccin, which stimulates cation uptake. Seeds that had germinated after 3-5 days and produced seedlings with green cotyledons were potentially resistant to fusicoccin and were therefore transferred into sterile Magenta vessels containing 1/2-strength Murashige and Skoog medium. This selection procedure is non-destructive, i.e. it allows the recovery of viable seedlings and their growth into adult plants thus permitting direct physiological characterisation.