Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T14:36:30.706Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

An attempt to estimate the induction by X-rays of recessive lethal and visible mutations in mice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

T. C. Carter
Affiliation:
Medical Research Council Radiobiological Research Unit, Harwell, Didcot, Berkshire
Mary F. Lyon
Affiliation:
Medical Research Council Radiobiological Research Unit, Harwell, Didcot, Berkshire
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The experiment was designed to form a bridge between the results of specific-locus experiments, using only a few gene loci, and those using the whole genome of the mouse. Male mice were given 600 r acute X-rays and bred from in such a way that at successive stages mutation in spermatogonia to dominant visibles and lethals, dominant semisteriles, recessive visibles and recessive lethals could be measured. The data concerning dominant mutations were relatively few but confirmed previous results. No recessive visible mutations were found, and the upper fiducial limit to the induced mutation rate to recessive visibles was set at a value 4500 times the rate to viable specific-locus mutations. From the attempt to measure recessive lethal mutations two interesting points emerged. The first was that granddaughters of the irradiated males had fewer corpora lutea per pregnancy than granddaughters of the control males, and the second was that this difference in number of ova shed was not reflected in any difference in litter-size at birth. Since this suggests intra-uterine compensation, no attempt was made to calculate mutation rates to recessive lethal genes from these data. The implications of the results are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1961

References

REFERENCES

Bowman, J. C. & Falconer, D. S. (1960). Inbreeding depression and heterosis of litter-size in mice. Genet. Res. 1, 262274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowman, J. C. & Roberts, R. C. (1958). Embryonic mortality in relation to ovulation rate in the house mouse. J. exp. Biol. 35, 138143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, T. C. (1958). Radiation-induced gene mutation in adult female and foetal male mice. Brit. J. Radiol. 31, 407411.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carter, T. C. (1959). A pilot experiment with mice, using Haldane's method for detecting induced autosomal recessive lethal genes. J. Genet. 56, 353362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, T. C., Lyon, M. F. & Phillips, R. J. S. (1955). Gene-tagged chromosome translocations in eleven stocks of mice. J. Genet. 53, 154166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, T. C., Lyon, M. F. & Phillips, R. J. S. (1960). Genetic sensitivity to X-rays of mouse foetal gonads. Genet. Res. 1, 351355.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, R. G. & Fowler, R. E. (1959). Fetal mortality in adult mice after superovulation with gonadotrophins. J. exp. Zool. 141, 299322.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Falconer, D. S. (1949). The estimation of mutation rates from incompletely tested gametes, and the detection of mutations in mammals. J. Genet. 49, 226234.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Falconer, D. S. & Roberts, R. C. (1960). Effect of inbreeding on ovulation rate and foetal mortality in mice. Genet. Res. 1, 422430.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fisher, R. A. & Yates, F. (1953). Statistical Tables for Biological, Agricultural and Medical Research. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd.Google Scholar
Holt, S. B. (1948). The effect of maternal age on the manifestation of a polydactyl gene in mice. Ann. Eugen., Lond., 14, 144157.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lüning, K. G. (1960). Studies of irradiated mouse populations. 1. Plans and report of the first generation. Hereditas, 46, 668674.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McLaren, A. & Michie, D. (1959). Superpregnancy in the mouse. 1. Implantation and foetal mortality after induced superovulation in females of various ages. J. exp. Biol. 36, 281300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, R. C. (1960). The effects on litter-size of crossing lines of inbred mice without selection. Genet. Res. 1, 239252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russell, W. L. (1951). X-ray induced mutations in mice. Cold Spr. Harb. Sym. quant. Biol. 16, 327336.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Russell, W. L. (1954). Genetic effects of radiation in mammals. Radiation Biology, ed. Hollaender, A., Vol. 1, Ch. 12, pp. 825859. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Russell, W. L., Bangham, J. W. & Gower, J. S. (1958). Comparison between mutations induced in spermatogonial and postspermatogonial stages in the mouse. Proc. Xth int. Cong. Genet. 2, 245246.Google Scholar
Russell, W. L. & Russell, L. B. (1959). The genetic and phenotypic characteristics of radiation-induced mutations in mice. Rod. Res. suppl. 1, 296305.Google Scholar
Russell, W. L., Russell, L. B. & Kelly, E. M. (1958). Radiation dose rate and mutation frequency. Science, 128, 15461550.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Russell, W. L., Russell, L. B. & Cupp, M. B. (1959). Dependence of mutation frequency on radiation dose rate in female mice. Proc. not. Acad. Sci., Wash., 45, 1823.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed