Alteractions of germ cells leading to mutagenesis and their detection.

Germ cell risk is an essential component of estimating the deleterious results of environmental mutagens. The present set of in vivo model systems appears to have limited ability to measure germ cell risk from all types of genetic lesions. The assays most practical for use in genetic testing measure the induction of chromosome alterations but not specific locus gene mutations. Quantitative estimation of germ cell risk based on such available assays is difficult to make and may lead to incorrect assumptions of risk. Better assessment of germ cell genetic damage will require expansion of present procedures to increase sensitivity and the development of improved assay systems.