Does unequal crossing over contribute to the mutation rate in Duchenne muscular dystrophy?

Abstract

Abstract In order to explain the high mutation rate in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), together with the apparent equal incidence of new mutations in sperms and ova, which is unusual when compared with other X‐linked conditions, it is postulated that a significant proportion of new mutations in DMD are caused by unequal crossing over in females at meiosis. If this is true, then there are important consequences for the strategy of research into the molecular basis of DMD.