title: Minisatellite germline mutation rate in the Techa River population.
abstract: Germline mutation at eight minisatellite loci has been studied among the irradiated families from the Techa River population and non-exposed families from the rural area of the Chelyabinsk and Kurgan Oblasts. The groups were matched by ethnicity, parental age, occupation and smoking habit. A statistically significant 1.7-fold increase in mutation rate was found in the germline of irradiated fathers, whereas maternal germline mutation rate in the exposed families was not elevated. Most of the minisatellite loci showed an elevated paternal mutation rate in the exposed group, indicating a generalised increase in minisatellite germline mutation rate in the Techa River population. These data suggest that the elevated minisatellite mutation rate can be attributed to radioactive exposure. The spectra of paternal mutation seen in the unexposed and exposed families were indistinguishable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, United Kingdom. yed2@le.ac.uk
authors.forename: Yuri E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Dubrova
authors.forename: Olga G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Ploshchanskaya
authors.forename: Olga S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Kozionova
authors.forename: Alexander V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Akleyev
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D009154:Mutation; D044382:Population Groups; D011850:Radioactive Waste; D045483:Rivers; D012426:Russia
chemical_list: D011850:Radioactive Waste