Radiation damage to DNA and its repair in the formation of chromosome aberrations

The possible involvement of radiation-induced DNA strand breaks and/or base damage in the production of chromosome aberrations is discussed. Experiments with inhibitors of DNA repair replication are discussed in some detail in order to provide the basis for the hypothesis that radiation-induced chromosome aberrations result from the interaction of coincidentally repairing base damage lesions. Based on this hypothesis, the frequency of chromosome aberrations will be influenced by the rate of repair of base damage, and as a consequence an explanation can be provided of difference in sensitivity to aberration induction in the same cell type in different species or different cell types in the same species