Elevated mutation rates in the germline of Polκ mutant male mice

Mutation rates at two expanded simple tandem repeat (ESTR) loci were studied in the germline of DNA polymerase kappa (POl kappa(-/-)) deficient mice. The spontaneous mutation rate in homozygous POl kappa(-/-) males was significantly higher than in isogenic wild-type mice (POl kappa(-/-)), but the ESTR mutation spectrum in POl kappa(-/-) animals did not differ from that in POl kappa(+/+) males. We suggest that compromised translesion synthesis in POl kappa(-/-) mice may result in replication fork pausing which, in turn, may affect ESTR mutation rate. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.