We recently showed (Scott and Zampetti-Bosseler 1980) that X-ray sensitive mouse lymphoma cells sustain more chromosome damage, mitotic delay and spindle defects than X-ray resistant cells. We proposed that (a) chromosome aberrations contribute much more to lethality than spindle defects, and (b) that DNA lesions are less effectively repaired in the sensitive cells and give rise to more G2 mitotic delay and chromosome aberrations. Our present results on human fibroblasts with reported differential sensitivity to ionizing radiation (i.e. normal donors and patients with ataxia telangiectasia and retinoblastoma) support the first hypothesis since we observed a positive correlation between chromosome aberration frequencies and cell killing and no induced spindle defects. Our second hypothesis is however not substantiated since X-ray sensitive fibroblasts from the ataxia patient suffered less mitotic delay than cells from normal donors. A common lesion for mitotic delay and chromosome aberrations can still be assumed by adopting the hypothesis of Painter and Young (1981) that the defect in ataxia cells is not in repair but in a failure of DNA damage to initiate mitotic delay. In contrast to other reports, we found the retinoblastoma cells to be of normal radiation sensitivity (cell killing and aberration).

Genetic exchange may occur between two particular Trypanosoma brucei clones simultaneously transmitted by the same tsetse fly. We report here that this exchange takes place in the fly, through nuclear fusion. The resulting hybrids appear to be sub‐tetraploid, some particular DNA sequences from one of the parental stocks being lost before enough cloned hybrid trypanosomes could be harvested for DNA analysis. A further reduction of the DNA content of these hybrids occurs gradually upon growth and yields near diploid value in a major part of the population. This mode of hybrid generation is different from the fusion of haploid gametes, which is thought to occur normally upon inoculation of metacyclic trypanosomes in their mammalian host. In this respect, the sub‐tetraploid hybrids appear to undergo meiosis in the fly, generating sub‐diploid metacyclic forms, then fusion in the mammalian blood.

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