Molecular characterization of Helianthus tuberosus L. treated with ethyl methanesulfonate based on inter-simple sequence repeat markers

Mutation breeding is one of the most effective techniques in plant breeding. Mutagens are used to induce variation in plants. Ethyl methanesulfonate is considered the most effective mutagen among chemical mutagens. The doses and treatment durations of the used mutagens become important to create an effective mutation. Four different doses of ethyl methanesulfonate (0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6%) were used to treat the tuber eyes for two different time periods (3 and 6 h) in the present study. After treatment, molecular characterization was examined in plants developed from ethyl methanesulfonate-treated tuber eyes by inter-simple sequence repeat method in order to determine the genetic differences which ethyl methanesulfonate treatments led to create in plants. The research showed that there was a 7–48% similarity rate of the plants from the eyes treated with ethyl methanesulfonate. The genetic similarity rate was 7% between 0.4% dose of ethyl methanesulfonate for 3 h and its 0.2% dose for 6 h, but it was 82% for the control groups (untreated-ethyl methanesulfonate). The lowest similarity rate (10%) between control groups (untreated-ethyl methanesulfonate) and EMS treatments occurred at 0.4% dose of ethyl methanesulfonate for 3 h.