A perspective on mechanisms of chromosomal mutations in relation to chromosome-stability-deficient mutants of Drosophila.

A working hypothesis that eukaryote chromosomal mutations result from specific misrecombination is proposed in relation to X-ray-induced mutations in the mouse. Unique features of chromosome-stability-deficient mutations and of tumor mutations in Drosophila are reviewed; these mutations could serve as very good models for elucidating the mechanisms of chromosome-aberration-related diseases in humans.