Abstract
DR. A. J. BATBMAN'S careful analysis of X-ray-induced dominant lethality in the mouse1 has yielded a sequence of mutation frequencies in successive matings which is strikingly similar to that of Drosophila, as established by me2 and Khishin3 for recessive lethals. In the mouse, as in Drosophila, successive matings of irradiated males result in an initial drop in frequency of mutation, followed by a pronounced peak, which in turn is followed by a decline to about the initial value and finally to a very much lower level. The initial drop, which in Drosophila takes place between the first and the second day, has been variously interpreted as due to a difference of sensitivity between fully mature and nearly mature spermatozoa4,5 or as recovery from genetical X-ray damage during the first 24 hr. after irradiation6,7. Both interpretations are possible for the parallel drop in the mouse which, according to a personal communication by Dr. Bateman, is entirely due to an excess of dominant lethals on the first day.
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AUERBACH, C. Sensitivity of Immature Mouse Sperm to the Mutagenic Effects of X-Rays. Nature 179, 725 (1957). https://doi.org/10.1038/179725a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/179725a0
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