Open AccessAlteractions of germ cells leading to mutagenesis and their detection
Author(s) -
David Brusick
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
environmental health perspectives
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.257
H-Index - 282
eISSN - 1552-9924
pISSN - 0091-6765
DOI - 10.1289/ehp.7824105
Subject(s) - germ cell , mutagenesis , biology , locus (genetics) , germ , computational biology , genetics , gene , mutation , microbiology and biotechnology
Germ cell risk is an essential component of estimating the deleterious results of environmental mutagens. The present set of in vivo model systems appears to have limited ability to measure germ cell risk from all types of genetic lesions. The assays most practical for use in genetic testing measure the induction of chromosome alterations but not specific locus gene mutations. Quantitative estimation of germ cell risk based on such available assays is difficult to make and may lead to incorrect assumptions of risk. Better assessment of germ cell genetic damage will require expansion of present procedures to increase sensitivity and the development of improved assay systems.