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Possible role of DNA synthesis in formation of sister chromatid exchanges

Nature volume 252, pages 739–741 (1974)Cite this article

Abstract

As there is now evidence that an eukaryote chromosome is composed of a single molecule of double-stranded DNA1,2, sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) detectable in mitotic chromosomes of higher organisms can be regarded as a kind of recombination between two homologous DNA duplexes. The SCE formation is readily enhanced by exogenous agents such as ultraviolet light and chemical mutagens and seems to be closely related to post-replicational repair process in mammalian cells3. Precise knowledge about the time and sites of the SCE formation might help greatly to understand the mechanism underlying this phenomenon and its biological significance. Previous attempts3 to pinpoint cellular phases in which this recombination process is initiated have been hampered by the usage of 3H-thymidine which, although indispensable for the demarcation of sister chromatids, would cause strand scissions at any cellular phases.

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  1. National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka-ken, 411, Japan

    HATAO KATO

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  1. HATAO KATO
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KATO, H. Possible role of DNA synthesis in formation of sister chromatid exchanges. Nature 252, 739–741 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/252739a0

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