An In Vivo Method for the Detection of Somatic Mutations at the Cellular Level in Mice

    February 1982 in “ Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis ”
    A.G. Searle, Dennis A. Stephenson
    TLDR A new method can detect mutations in mice by observing changes in hair follicle cells.
    This study introduced a method to detect somatic mutations in mice by observing changes in pigment-cell shapes in hair follicles. Researchers treated fetal heterozygotes for dilute (d) and leaden (ln) loci with X-rays or procarbazine and analyzed dorsal skin mounts for mutant melanocytes. They found dose-response relationships fitting both quadratic and power-law curves, with mutation rates aligning with previous studies. The method showed potential for improvement and extension.
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