Biopolym. Cell. 1995; 11(5):24-27.
Biological mutagenes and their role in the natural mutation process
1Alexandrov Yu. N., 2Golubovsky M. D.
  1. Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, NAS of Ukraine
    31/17, Vasylkivska, Kyiv, Ukraine, 03022
  2. St. Petersburg Branch of the Institute for the History of Science and Technology named after S. I. Vavilov, RAS
    Universitetskaya naberezhnaya, 5., Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation, 199164

Abstract

Two sets of lethal mutations in chromosome 2 of Drosophila melanogaster have been tested for allelism: lethals induced by viruses and exogenous DNA and those found in different natural populations or arising de novo in the progeny of wild-type flies. It was concluded that the mutagenic effect of different viruses and other sources of DNA, exogenous for the host cells, is to induce single-locus and multiple mutations, which can spread throughout natural populations. Certain population-genetical consequences of the data obtained are discussed, and in particular, the position that during virus-induced mutagenesis, similar multiple chromosome lesions can occur repeatedly and independently in isolated populations of flies a result of a single mutation event.

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