Lack of demonstratable effects of pollutants on cyt b sequences in wood ducks from a contaminated nuclear reactor cooling pond

Citation
Kp. Johnson et al., Lack of demonstratable effects of pollutants on cyt b sequences in wood ducks from a contaminated nuclear reactor cooling pond, ENVIR RES, 81(2), 1999, pp. 146-150
Citations number
24
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology,"Pharmacology & Toxicology
Journal title
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
ISSN journal
00139351 → ACNP
Volume
81
Issue
2
Year of publication
1999
Pages
146 - 150
Database
ISI
SICI code
0013-9351(199908)81:2<146:LODEOP>2.0.ZU;2-Z
Abstract
The effects of low levels of radiation on DNA mutation rates are largely un known for free-living vertebrates. In this study we investigated the effect s of contamination from cooling ponds at a nuclear production facility in S outh Carolina on the mutation rates in mitochondrial DNA in wood ducks (Aix sponsa), Specifically, we sequenced a 433-bp portion of the cytochrome b g ene from 18 female-offspring pairs of wood ducks from contaminated ponds an d 2 female-offspring pairs from control ponds,Very low haplotype diversity was observed overall, and no case of mutation between female and offspring could be satisfactorily documented. This suggests that the levels of radioa ctive contamination in these cooling ponds have little effect on the mutati on rate of mitochondrial DNA in these waterfowl and that mitochondrial DNA may not be as sensitive an indicator as previously anticipated. (C) 1999 Ac ademic Press.