[Mechanism of the mutagenic action of the decay of incorporated phosphorus-32].

The experimental material concerning that physico-chemical consequences of 32P decay in the molecular structure of DNA, their reparation mechanism as well, and resulting mutagenic effects have been analysed. The reparation of the single-strand break of the DNA chain does not cause the changes of microdeletion and microinsertion type but instead of the changes observed are of the nucleic bases conversion type. It is concluded that the mutations caused by the decay of 32P incorporated appear as a result of errors in the selection of nucleic bases during the reparative replication of the non-conservative type.