The induction of sex-chromosomal nondisjunction and diploid spermatids following x-irradiation of pre-spermatid stages in the northern vole Microtus oeconomus.
Chromosome nondisjunction seems to be one of the most important mutagenic effects occurring in man and makes an enormous contribution to human foetal wastage. As yet, little or no information is available on which environmental factors are important in inducing nondisjunction and accordingly we have investigated the effect of X-irradiation on inducing nondisjunction in male germ cells of an experimental mammal, the Northern vole-Microtus oeconomus. Using a staining technique based upon the presence of heterochromatin we have scored the number of sex chromosomes in early spermatids in both irradiated and unirradiated animals. A significant increase in nondisjunction, following treatment, was found with all doses between 25 and 200 R. However, variations in nondisjunction induction at various time intervals following irradiation suggest variations in cell stage sensitivity. More surprising was the large induction of diploid gametes which also demonstrated a significant induction with all irradiation doses. From the distribution of sex chromosomes we conclude that both nondisjunction and diploid gamete induction occur at both meiotic divisions. At present it is not possible to conclude whether the radiation response is linear and to define the cell-stage sensitivity with precision. The reasons for this appear to be variations in sensitivity between animals and also that there is a clear overlap between the duration of the early spermatid stage analyzed (4 days) and the interval between sampling times.
D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D004171:Diploidy; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D008297:Male; D012729:Sex Chromosome Aberrations; D013087:Spermatids / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013997:Time Factors