[Variability of the number of nucleoli in the progeny of intact UV-irradiated clonogenic HeLa cells and the heritability of this trait].

The nucleoli numbers and variances (sigma 2) of this character were the same in the "abortive" and "fertile" Hela clones, but higher in the cultures than in the clones. The heritability coefficient (h 2) of the nucleoli number per cell in the intact Hela population is 0.21-0.33. After UV-irradiation the variability of the nucleoli number increased both in the clones and the cultures, but the heritability coefficient remained unchanged.