Dominant-lethal mutation and heritable translocation tests in mice

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5918165

Generoso, W M

The spontaneous occurrence of chromosome breakage-related genetic anomalies in humans is estimated to be 0.24%, not including spontaneous abortions. More balanced reciprocal translocations are being discovered among mentally handicapped individuals. Chromosome breakage can result in chromosome loss, which often leads to embryonic lethality and occassionally to viable aneuploids, or to viable reciprocal translocations and inversions. In mice, transmitted chromosome breakage effects may be measured by using dominant-lethal mutations, heritable translocations, heritable inversions, sex-chromosome loss, and chromosome breakage and rearrangement scored cytologically in early embryos. The dominant-lethal mutation and the heritable translocation tests are the most widely used tests. The heritable translocation procedure described here applies only to the induction of translocations in male germ cells. The use of treated females in the dominant-lethal test has its drawback too. When the fertility of treated female is reduced or when embryonic lethality is observed, it is difficult to ascertain whether these effects are attributable to true genetic damage or to physiological imbalances in the treated females. Therefore the dominant-lethal test as it is used in practical testing has almost exclusively employed the treatment of males. This is not to say that treatment of females has no advantages whatsoever. On the contrary, there is a good example of a case whereby dominant-lethal effects of the test compound was unequivocably demonstrated in treated females but not in treated males.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5918165
• Report Number(s): CONF-8010222-1; ON: DE82001455
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560305* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
BIOLOGY
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
CHROMOSOME BREAKAGE
DOMINANT MUTATIONS
GENETICS
GERM CELLS
LETHAL MUTATIONS
MALES
MAMMALS
MICE
MUTAGEN SCREENING
MUTATIONS
RODENTS
SCREENING
SPONTANEOUS MUTATIONS
VERTEBRATES