가속기빔을 이용한 돌연변이 육종의 특성과 연구개발 현황

Characteristics and Research Status of Mutation Breeding Using Accelerator Beams

Mutation breeding through irradiation has been applied to several varieties and genetic resources since the discovery of the useof X-rays for inducing mutations in plants by Stadler in 1928. A heavy ion beam with high linear energy transfer (LET) shows a higherrelative biological effectiveness (RBE), and it is more effective in inducing plant mutations than low LET radiations, such as X-rays, gammarays, and electrons. Since early 1990s, several plant breeding programs in Japan have used heavy ion beams from accelerators. These beamsimpart a high energy effect on a local target; therefore, they induce a higher number of single and double strand DNA breaks. In addition,they induce a large number of DNA deletions than low LET radiations. Therefore, a heavy ion beam is superior to low LET radiations interms of induction rate and the mutation spectrum. In Korea, a heavy ion accelerator that can be used for breeding is under construction. However, a large-capacity proton accelerator (KOMAC: Korea Multi-purpose Accelerator Complex) was built recently, and it is a pioneerstep in breeding research worldwide. This review summarizes the basic characteristics, successful research achievements, and the prospectof application of high LET accelerator beams in plant mutation breeding.