Editing Germ cell (section)

===Mutation and DNA repair===

The [[mutation]] frequency of female [[germline]] cells in mice is about 5-fold lower than that of [[somatic cell]]s, according to one study.<ref name="pmid23153565">{{cite journal | vauthors = Murphey P, McLean DJ, McMahan CA, Walter CA, McCarrey JR | title = Enhanced genetic integrity in mouse germ cells | journal = Biology of Reproduction | volume = 88 | issue = 1 | pages = 6 | date = January 2013 | pmid = 23153565 | pmc = 4434944 | doi = 10.1095/biolreprod.112.103481 }}</ref>

The mouse [[oocyte]] in the [[dictyate]] (prolonged diplotene) stage of [[meiosis]] actively repairs [[DNA damage (naturally occurring)|DNA damage]], whereas [[DNA repair]] was not detected in the pre-dictyate ([[leptotene]], [[zygotene]] and [[pachytene]]) stages of meiosis.<ref name="pmid3380109">{{cite journal | vauthors = Guli CL, Smyth DR | title = UV-induced DNA repair is not detectable in pre-dictyate oocytes of the mouse | journal = Mutation Research | volume = 208 | issue = 2 | pages = 115–119 | date = June 1988 | pmid = 3380109 | doi = 10.1016/s0165-7992(98)90010-0 }}</ref>  The long period of meiotic arrest at the four [[chromatid]] dictyate stage of meiosis may facilitate [[homologous recombination|recombination]]al repair of DNA damages.<ref name="pmid9778439">{{cite journal | vauthors = Mira A | title = Why is meiosis arrested? | journal = Journal of Theoretical Biology | volume = 194 | issue = 2 | pages = 275–287 | date = September 1998 | pmid = 9778439 | doi = 10.1006/jtbi.1998.0761 | bibcode = 1998JThBi.194..275M }}</ref>