ABSTRACT
Analysis of germline mutation rate at human minisatellites among children born in areas of the Mogilev district of Belarus heavily polluted after the Chernobyl accident has been extended, both by recruiting more families from the affected region and by using five additional minisatellite probes, including multi-locus probe 33.6 and four hypervariable single-locus probes. These additional data confirmed a twofold higher mutation rate in exposed families compared with non-irradiated families from the United Kingdom. An elevated rate was seen at all three independent sets of minisatellites (detected separately by multi-locus probes 33.15, 33.6 and six single-locus probes), indicating a generalised increase in minisatellite germline mutation rate in the Belarus families. Within the Belarus cohort, mutation rate was significantly greater in families with higher parental radiation dose estimated for chronic external and internal exposure to caesium-137, consistent with radiation induction of germline mutation. The spectra of mutation seen in the unexposed and exposed families were indistinguishable, suggesting that increased mutation observed over multiple loci arises indirectly by some mechanism that enhances spontaneous minisatellite mutation.
Subject(s)
DNA Damage , DNA, Satellite/radiation effects , Mutation/radiation effects , Power Plants , Radioactive Hazard Release , Adult , Cesium Radioisotopes/adverse effects , Child, Preschool , Cohort Studies , DNA Fingerprinting , DNA Mutational Analysis , Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation , Environmental Pollutants/adverse effects , Female , Gamma Rays/adverse effects , Humans , Male , Maternal Exposure , Metals, Heavy/adverse effects , Metals, Heavy/analysis , Paternal Exposure , Radioactive Fallout/adverse effects , Republic of Belarus/epidemiology , Ukraine , United KingdomABSTRACT
Germline mutation at human minisatellite loci has been studied among children born in heavily polluted areas of the Mogilev district of Belarus after the Chernobyl accident and in a control population. The frequency of mutation was found to be twice as high in the exposed families as in the control group. Mutation rate in the Mogilev families was correlated with the level of caesium-137 surface contamination, consistent with radiation induction of germline mutation.
