Differences between germline and somatic mutation rates in humans and mice

Brandon Milholland, Xiao Dong, Lei Zhang, Xiaoxiao Hao, Yousin Suh and Jan Vijg ()
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Brandon Milholland: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Xiao Dong: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Lei Zhang: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Xiaoxiao Hao: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Yousin Suh: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Jan Vijg: Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract The germline mutation rate has been extensively studied and has been found to vary greatly between species, but much less is known about the somatic mutation rate in multicellular organisms, which remains very difficult to determine. Here, we present data on somatic mutation rates in mice and humans, obtained by sequencing single cells and clones derived from primary fibroblasts, which allows us to make the first direct comparison with germline mutation rates in these two species. The results indicate that the somatic mutation rate is almost two orders of magnitude higher than the germline mutation rate and that both mutation rates are significantly higher in mice than in humans. Our findings demonstrate both the privileged status of germline genome integrity and species-specific differences in genome maintenance.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15183

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