X-ray-induced recessive lethal mutations in the mouse.

A test of X-ray-induced recessive lethal mutations in mouse spermatogonia (500 rad) was carried out. The test was based on familial analysis, which allowed division on the P pairs into those with lethal heterozygous members and in others assumed to be lethal-free. The F1 males from the latter group, in back-crosses to their daughters, gave an excessive rate of intra-uterine death in comparison with lethal-free males. The excessive death is assumed to reflect the rate of new (induced + spontaneous) recessive lethals or rather lethal equivalents. Three ways of estimating the rate of new recessive lethal mutations gave a mean of 5.5% per genome. From the previous tests we can assume that 1% are spontaneous mutations. Thus the data indicate that the mutation rate per rad per gamete is 9 X 10(-5). This value is identical with a previous estimate. The results are discussed in relation to population tests performed in the early 60's. It is concluded that the lack of observable deterioration in the populations after several consecutive generations of exposure is in accord with the estimates in the present analysis which are more than an order of magnitude lower than assumed at the start of the population tests. It is also stressed that species with different DNA contents show similarities in point estimates of doubling dosages.