A simple method to efficiently generate structural variation in plants

Phenotypic variation is essential for the selection of new traits of interest. Structural variants, consisting of deletions, duplications, inversions, and translocations, have greater potential for phenotypic consequences than single nucleotide variants. Pan-genome studies have highlighted the importance of structural variation in the evolution and selection of novel traits. Here, we describe a simple method to induce structural variation in plants. We demonstrate that a short period of growth on the topoisomerase II inhibitor etoposide induces heritable structural variation and altered phenotypes in Arabidopsis thaliana at high frequency. Using long-read sequencing and genetic analyses, we identified deletions and inversions underlying semi-dominant and recessive phenotypes. This method requires minimal resources, is potentially applicable to any plant species, and can replace irradiation as a source of induced large-effect structural variation.