Biopolymers and cell. 1999; 15 (4): 257 - 261

High selectivity of mutagenic action of synthetic polynucleotides

Yu. N. Alexandrov

Solutions of high molecular weight syntetic poiyribo- and polydeoxyribonucleotides of known chemical structure injected into Drosophila melanogaster males caused a 6—17 fold increase of the overall frequency of the recessive lethals in the 2nd chromosome. Complementation analysis of the induced lethals showed an extremely high locus-specificity for some of these mutagens. Possible mechanisms of the mutagenic action of synthetic polynucleotides are discussed.