Monitoring spontaneous and induced human mutation by RAPD-PCR: a response to Weinberg et al. (2001).
Weinberg et al. (2001, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 268, 1001-1005) have recently reported a major increase in mutation rate in the children of Chernobyl liquidators as a result of their fathers' exposure to ionizing radiation. If correct, this would provide dramatic evidence for radiation-induced mutation in humans, and would raise major concerns over the genetic effects of radiation. However, mutants were mainly detected using random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR, an unreliable technology. These mutants were not validated and had no obvious molecular basis. They may, instead, have arisen as PCR artefacts or through non-paternity or sample mix-up. Unless these mutants can be validated, we recommend that Weinberg et al. withdraw their remarkable claims.
Jeffreys
A J
AJ
Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK. ajj@le.ac.uk
Dubrova
Y E
YE
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D018812:Paternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique