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Induction of genetic recombination: Consequences and model systems
Author(s) -
Hoffmann George R.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
environmental and molecular mutagenesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1098-2280
pISSN - 0893-6692
DOI - 10.1002/em.2850230614
Subject(s) - recombination , genetics , biology , computational biology , evolutionary biology , gene
Radiation and many chemicals have been found to induce homologous genetic recombination. Experimental systems that allow the detection and characterization of recombinagens exist in organisms as diverse as bacteria, fungi, plants, insects, and mammals. Recombination plays an important role in many biological processes, and studies of recombinagens can provide insight into underlying mechanisms. Studies of recombinagens are also of applied interest in genetic toxicology, because recombinational events in somatic cells can contribute to human disease. Clear connections have been established between mitotic recombination and the etiology of some cancers. This article briefly reviews two aspects of the induction of genetic recombination by radiation and chemicals—the health implications of recombinagenic effects and assays for detecting recombinagens. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.