Mutagenesis in Muridae from regions with increased radiation level

Genetic monitoring of wild populations of mouse-like rodents has been carried out since 1992 in areas with the increased radioactivity in the south of the Bryansk region. The radioactive background ranged from 0.20 to 2.20 mkGy/h. Over 400 rodents of different species have been examined. Bank vole constituted more than a half of the examined animals. The genetic effect of radiation was estimated by the frequency of micronuclei in normochromatic erythrocytes of peripheral blood and by the frequency of abnormal sperm heads. In house mice the frequency of reciprocal translocations and the level of embryo mortality were studied in the progeny of the caught male mice mated with intact laboratory females. The data obtained demonstrate that the yield of induced genetic disorders by all tests was relatively low and only in a few cases the frequency of disturbances tended to increase with an increase in the level of radionuclide contamination in the examined areas.