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
”
TLDR A new method can detect mutations in mice by observing changes in hair follicle cells.
The study developed a method to detect somatic mutations in mice by observing changes in pigment-cell shapes in hair follicles. Recessive mutations at the dilute (d) and leaden (ln) loci altered melanocytes from a dendritic to a rounded form. Foetal heterozygotes were exposed to X-rays or procarbazine, and dorsal skin was examined for mutant melanocytes. The study found dose-response relationships for both treatments, fitting quadratic and power-law curves, with mutation rates aligning with previous research. The method's potential improvements were also discussed.
