Molecular detection of mouse germline mutation.

Abstract

Germ-line mutation induced by ionizing radiation is suspected as a cause for the increased risk of developing cancers in successive generations. Two conflicting results, the negative one on the first-generation progeny of the atomic bomb survivors at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the positive one among the human population in the Belarus area after the Chernobyl accident, have been reported for the effect of ionizing radiation on germline mutation in human populations. The mouse specific locus test has been successfully applied to evaluate the genetic effects of radiation. However, the frequencies of spontaneous mutation have varied in different series of experiments, suggesting that the number of mice used in the test was not sufficient for a statistical analysis. Therefore, we started to establish a new experimental system to detect germline mutation at the molecular level using the automated DNA sequencer. We will present the results and the reliability of our experimental system. [J Radiat Res 44:390-391 (2003)]