Experimental radioinduction of chromosomal variants in man
Milani-Comparetti, M.; Ambrosini, A.; Antonelli, A.; Canapa, A.; Saccucci, F.; De Nigris, E.; Albertini, G.
Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale 63(7): 575-579
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0037-8771 PMID: 3663361 Document Number: 300241
Chromosomal variants (and specifically the "qht" variants of human chromosomes 1,9 and 16) are known to be heritable, devoid of phenotypic expression (as befits heterochromatin) and related to reproductive pathology (sterility, stillbriths, chromosomal aberrations). A series of experiments involving irradiation of cultured human lymphocytes at different phases of the mitotic cycle following stimulation with Pha (see table I) indicates that: a) variants are, in fact, induced by radiation, even at the "maximum allowed dose", preferentially around 34 hours after stimulation; b)while both aberrations and variants are dose-dependent, variants are more closely dependent on the phase of the mitotic cycle.