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A new mitomycin C (MMC)-sensitive rodent line, UV40, has been identified in the collection of ultraviolet light- (UV-) sensitive mutants of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells isolated at the previous Facility for Automated Experiments in Cell Biology (FAECB). It was isolated from an UV mutant hunt using mutagenesis of AA8 cells with the DNA intercalating frameshift mutagen ICR170. It is complemented by CHO-UV-1, irsl, irs3, irslSF, MC5, V-C8 and V-H4 with respect to its MMC sensitivity based on cell survival. Despite having approx. 4 X normal UV sensitivity and increased sensitivity to UV inhibition of DNA replication, it has near-normal incision kinetics of UV irradiated DNA, and normal (6-4) photoproducts removal. It also is not hypermutable by UV, and shows near normal levels of UV inhibition of RNA synthesis. UV40 also has approx. 11 x .10 x .5 x and 2 x AA8 sensitivity to MMC, ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), and X-rays, respectively. Thus, its defect apparently does not involve nucleotide excision repair but rather another process, possibly in replicating past lesions. The spontaneous chromosomal aberration frequency is elevated to 20% in UV40, and the baseline frequency of sister chromatid exchange is also approximately 4-fold increased. The phenotype of UV40 appears to differ from all other rodent mutants that have so far been described.

The mutational specificities of various chemical mutagens were compared in isogenic E. coli strains with different DNA repair capabilities (wild-type, uvrA, umuC, and uvrA umuC) in a reversion assay employing a set of mutant lacZ genes that can detect two types of transitions, four types of transversions, and five kinds of specific frameshift events. A uvrA derivative was more sensitive than the wild-type strain to 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone for +1G, -1G, -2(C-G), +1A and -1A frameshifts, G.C-->A.T transitions, and G.C-->T.A transversions. In a uvrA background, G.C-->T.A transversions and +1G, +1A, and -1A frameshifts appeared to be umuC-dependent, while G.C-->A.T transitions were not. N-Ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine was more mutagenic in a uvrA background for five kinds of frameshifts and G.C-->A.T transitions, but not for G.C-->T.A, A.T-->C.G, and A.T-->G.C base substitutions. A.T-->C.G transversions were totally dependent on umuC gene function. For the investigation of mutational specificities induced by frameshift mutagens, an rfa mutation was additionally introduced. The rfa strain responded to 2-nitrofluorene, which induced primarily -2(C-G) frameshift mutations. In an rfa uvrA background, benzo[a]pyrene induced +1G, -1G, +1A, and -1A frameshifts. 2-Aminoanthracene induced +1G, -1G, and +1A, but not -1A, frameshifts, with -1G frameshifts predominating. Ethidium bromide induced only two types of frameshifts, -1G and +1A. Frameshifts induced by ICR-170 were independent of umuC gene function, while those by induced 1-nitropyrene were partly umuC-dependent.

Acridine and its derivatives are planar polycyclic aromatic molecules which bind tightly but reversibly to DNA by intercalation, but do not usually covalently interact with it. Acridines have a broad spectrum of biological activities, and a number of derivatives are widely used as antibacterial, antiprotozoal and anticancer drugs. Simple acridines show activity as frameshift mutagens, especially in bacteriophage and bacterial assays, by virtue of their intercalative DNA-binding ability. Acridines bearing additional fused aromatic rings (benzacridines) show little activity as frameshift mutagens, but interact covalently with DNA following metabolic activation (forming predominantly base-pair substitution mutations). Compounds where the acridine acts as a carrier to target alkylating agents to DNA (e.g. the ICR compounds) cause predominantly frameshift as well as base-pair substitution mutations in both bacterial and mammalian cells. Nitroacridines may act as simple acridines or (following nitro group reduction) as alkylating agents, depending upon the position of the nitro group. Acridine-based topoisomerase II inhibitors, although frameshift mutagens in bacteria and bacteriophage systems, are primarily chromosomal mutagens in mammalian cells. These mutagenic activities are important, since the compounds have considerable potential as clinical antitumour drugs. Although evidence suggests that simple acridines are not animal or human carcinogens, a number of the derived compounds are highly active in this capacity.

We describe a method to identify and enumerate mutants at the nucleotide level in complex cell populations. Several thousand different mutants were induced at the HPRT locus in human lymphoblastoid cultures by either MNNG, an alkylating agent, or by ICR-191, a substituted acridine. HPRT mutants were selected en masse by resistance to 6-thioguanine. The most frequent mutations (hotspots) in HPRT exon 3 were determined by a combination of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and polymerase chain reaction. MNNG predominantly produced GC----AT transitions at nucleotides in a GGGGGG sequence, while ICR-191 produced both +1 frameshifts in the same GGGGGG sequence and +1 frameshifts in a CCC sequence.

Changes in unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in lymphocytes and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the rat brain regions cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus were studied after 12 months of treatment with the neuroleptic fluphenazine (5 mg/kg b.w.), lithium (0.05% in drinking water), alpha-tocopherol (alpha-TP, 0.01% in drinking water) and the anticholinergic drug 7-methoxytacrine (0.1 and 1.0 g/kg in the diet). Fluphenazine and lithium suppressed UDS and increased LPO in cortex and hypothalamus. 7-Methoxy-tacrine at the lower dose stimulated UDS, at the higher dose it suppressed UDS after 6 months of exposure. Simultaneous administration of alpha-TP with fluphenazine suppressed the increase in LPO and the decrease in UDS produced by the neuroleptic alone. alpha-TP plasma levels were increased in groups administered alpha-TP as well as the levels in the hippocampus. Results indicate that the damage of biomembranes and the DNA repair enzymatic system as a consequence of fluphenazine action may be eliminated by the simultaneous administration of alpha-TP.

Reversion of the Salmonella typhimurium frameshift marker hisC3076 by ICR191 and 9-aminoacridine in rec+ and recA1 backgrounds was examined using the standard plate-reversion assay. For both compounds, the level of reversion observed in the recA strain is significantly greater than in the rec+ strain. Thus reversion of hisC3076 is not recA-dependent, but is recA-modulated. The ability of a mutagen (or mutagenic treatment) to induce the recA lexA-dependent SOS response does not therefore imply that mutagenic effects will also be recA-dependent.

The mutagenic and recombinogenic potential of 9-[(3-dimethylaminopropyl)amino]acridine and its 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-nitro derivatives was studied using 3 different strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The parent compound slightly enhanced the frequency of total aberrant colonies in diploid strains D5 and D7, but showed no evidence of recombinogenic effects. Each of the nitroacridines enhanced the frequency of total aberrant colonies in strains D5 and D7, but only the 1- and 4-nitro compounds significantly enhanced mitotic crossing-over (measured as twin spotted colonies in strains D5 and D7) or gene conversion in D7. The 3- and 4-nitro derivatives were effective mitochondrial mutagens, substantially increasing the frequency of ‘petite’ mutants in strains D5 and 5178B.

Genetic characterization of ad-3B mutants induced in wild-type and UV-sensitive strains has revealed qualitative differences between the spectra of genetic alterations at the molecular level. Ad-3B mutants induced in the two nucleotide excision-repair-deficient strains upr-1 and uvs-2 (Worthy and Epler, 1973) had significantly lower frequencies of nonpolarized complementation patterns and higher frequencies of noncomplementing mutants than ad-3B mutants induced in the wild-type strain in samples induced by either UV, gamma-rays, 4NQO or MNNG. In these same samples ad-3B mutants induced in uvs-4, uvs-5 or uvs-6 did not differ significantly from those induced in the wild-type strain. After ICR-170 treatment, ad-3B mutants induced in the UV-sensitive strains did not differ significantly from those induced in wild-type. The comparisons in the present and previous studies demonstrate that the process of mutation-induction in the ad-3 region is under the control of other loci that not only alter mutant recovery quantitatively (de Serres, 1980; Schüpbach and de Serres, 1981; Inoue et al., 1981a, b) but also qualitatively. These data have important implications for comparative chemical mutagenesis, since the spectrum of genetic alterations produced by a given agent can be modified markedly as a result of defects in DNA repair.

We have analyzed forward-mutation specificity in S49 mouse T lymphoma cells. Our criteria of specificity were based upon relative mutabilities of a panel of 3 genetic markers: resistance to 6-thioguanine (6TG r ), dibutyryl cAMP (bt 2 cAMP r ), and ouabain (OUA r ). We tested 2 monofunctional alkylating agents, ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) and N -methyl- N ′-nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), and 2 heterocyclic compounds, ICR-191 and aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ). AFB 1 was activated with rat-liver microsomal S9 plus cofactors. Expression-time lags of each genetic marker ranged from 2 days for OUA r mutations to 6 and 8 days for bt 2 cAMP r and 6TG r cells, with stable induced mutant fractions thereafter. The relative activity each agent for each marker was assessed on the basis of its mutagenic efficiency at equitoxic doses. Specificity differences between the agents were determined by taking ratios of mutagenic efficiencies (RME) for the 3 possible pairs of markers. From these quantitative correlations and other data we conclude that both MNNG and EMS induce ouabain resistance (and probably bt 2 cAMP r and 6TG r ) by similar mechanisms, almost certainly base substitutions. In contrast, ICR-191 and AFB 1 are respectively less than 2 and 3% as efficient as MNNG for OUA r mutant induction relative to the activity of each agent for 6TG r mutagenesis. We infer that ICR-191 and AFB 1 very rarely cause base substitutions in S49 cells, but that their activities are consistent with production of deletions, insertions or chromosomal aberrations. S49 cells demonstrate an unusually high specificity of mutagenesis at the OUA r locus compared to several other rodent cell lines. Thus, this panel of markers in S49 cells can be used as a sensitive, reliable screening system for mutagen detection and to discriminate among major classes of mutagenic mechanisms.

In testing the hypothesis that the small-colony thymidine kinase-deficient mutants of L5178Y/TK +/− −3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells represent an estimate of the clastogenicity of test chemicals, we have been performing gross aberration analysis. The present study was initiated to determine if the cytokinesis block method of micronucleus analysis could be performed in mouse lymphoma cells and to compare 3 different endpoints of clastogenicity: the number of metaphases with aberrations, number of binucleates with micronuclei, and small-colony TK mutant frequency. In this study, 12 compounds having varying clastogenic potencies were evaluated. As would be expected, the 3 endpoints vary in the relative magnitude of the quantitated response. This difference likely results from the types of clastogenic damage detected by each endpoint. Of the 3 endpoints tested, only the small-colony TK mutant frequency measures events compatible with long-term cell survival.

Sensitivity of detection of antimitochondrial effects in S. cerevisiae as measured by the induction of ‘petite’ mutants, has been investigated in a closely related series of 9-anilinoacridines, using a new microtitre test which has been compared to a range of other techniques. Drugs were chosen to span antimitochondrial activity between the inactive compounds 9-amino- or 3-amino-acridine and the moderately active proflavine, also between proflavine and the strong antimitochondrial agent, ethidium bromide. As previously reported using other techniques, no compound without an amino substituent caused antimitochondrial effects, whereas all 9 anilinoacridines with a 1′-substituted anilino group and 3,6-diamino-substituted acridine ring acted like ethidium in causing strong ‘petite’ mutagenesis. Compounds with a single acridine 3-amino group, together with proflavine, might or might not be scored as an antimitochondrial agent depending on the time and conditions of drug exposure and, more importantly, on the selection of yeast strain used in the screening. Measurement of ‘petite’ mutagenesis in strain 5178B, using the microtitre assay, provided the most sensitive and efficient means of detection of anti-mitochondrial effects for all physical DNA-binding agents. Detailed interpretation of structure-activity relationships and prediction of carcinogenic activity based upon induction of ‘petite’ mutagenesis would vary considerably if this procedure is not followed.

A mutant of Salmonella typhimurium with a reduced response to mutation induction by 9-aminoacridine (9AA) has been isolated. The mutation (dam-2) is located in the DNA adenine methylase gene. The dam-2 mutant strain exhibits a level of sensitivity to 2-aminopurine (2AP) intermediate between that of the dam+ and the DNA adenine methylation-deficit dam-1 strain, and 2AP sensitivity was reversed by introduction of a mutH mutation or of the plasmid pMQ148 (which carries a functional Escherichia coli dam+ gene). However, the dam-2 strain is not grossly defective in DNA adenine methylase activity. Whole cell DNA appears full methylated at -GATC- sites. The levels of 9AA required to induce equivalent levels of frameshift mutagenesis in the dam-2 strain were approximately 2-fold higher than for the dam+ strain. Introduction of pMQ148 dam+ reduced the level of 9AA required for induction of frameshift mutations 4-fold in the dam-2 strain and 2-fold in the dam+ strain. The dam-2 mutation had no effect on the levels of ICR191 required for induction of frameshift mutations, but introduction of pMQ148 reduced the ICR191-induced mutagenesis 2-fold. The dam+/pMQ148, dam-2/pMQ148 and dam-1/pMQ148 strains showed identical dose-response curves for both 9AA and ICR191. These results are consistent with a slightly reduced (dam-2) or increased (pMQ148) rate of methylation at the replication fork. The 2AP sensitivity of the dam-2 strain cannot be simply explained. Furthermore, addition of methionine to the assay medium reverses the 2AP sensitivity of the dam-2 strain, but has no effect on 9AA mutagenesis.

The investigation of mutagenic mechanisms in Haemophilus influenzae has been confined until now to mutagens that normally produce mainly base pair substitutions. This paper describes the development of a system suitable for detecting frameshift mutations induced by ICR-191. The system involves reversions from thymidine dependence to thymidine independence. Evidence is presented from a comparison of the responses to ICR-191 and to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine that the system is specific for frameshift mutations. The genetic recombination involved in transformation leads to a marked increase in "spontaneous" reversion of the frameshift mutations but not of the base substitution mutations. Presumably, this is a consequence of mispairing, with consequent change in the number of bases, during the recombination.

In order to identify a photoaffinity probe for 9-aminoacridine frameshift mutagenesis, 20 azido analogs of acridine were synthesized and tested in Ames' Salmonella tester strains, TA1535, TA1537, TA1538 and their corresponding excision-repair-proficient strains TA1975, TA1977, and TA1978, to determine their mutagenicity and toxicity relative to 9-aminoacridine. The substituent-mutagenicity patterns observed for these compounds agree very well with those obtained previously for non-azidoacridines. The results presented here show that the 2-azido-analog of 9-aminoacridine demonstrates biological activity similar to 9-aminoacridine prior to photolytic activation. With light activation, however, the 9-amino-2-azido derivative becomes more effective at producing frameshift mutations characteristics of 9-aminoacridine. Furthemore, this photolytic enhancement of mutagenesis appears to be due to the repairable lesion suggesting that covalent attachment of the drug occurs.

Summary Despite a previous report to the contrary, anaerobic cultures of Salmonella typhimurium strain LT2 hisG46 are revertible (although to a slightly reduced extent) by both N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and diethyl sulfate, while anaerobic cultures of a strain carrying the frameshift hisC3076 marker are fully revertible by 9-aminoacridine.

A series of 9-anilinoacridine derivatives has been compared in terms of DNA binding, ability to inhibit the growth of L1210 murine leukaemia cells in vitro, and ability to induce the formation of respiration-deficient (petite) mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The acridine ring in the derivatives was either unsubstituted, or substituted with amino groups at the 3 and/or 6 positions. The 9-anilino group was para-substituted with a variety of substituents. 3-Aminoacridine, 3,6-diaminoacridine (proflavine) and ethidium were included for comparison. The results show that: (i) at least one acridinyl amino group is necessary for conferring petite inducing activity in the yeast system; (ii) for 3-amino-9-anilinoacridine congeners, small anilino substituents provide compounds which resemble proflavine in their ability to produce petite mutants, whereas large substituents abolish activity; (iii) the 3,6-diamino-substituted anilinoacridines resemble ethidium rather than proflavine in being highly efficient inducers of petites; (iv) the requirements for optimal activity in L1210 leukaemia cell cultures are different to those for petite formation in yeast. It is concluded that the size of the anilino substituent, as well as its contribution to DNA binding, is critical in conferring biological activity in each system.

The ability of the DNA intercalator m-AMSA to produce protein-associated DNA-strand breaks in normal, xeroderma pigmentosum and ataxia-telangiectasia fibroblasts was compared with m-AMSA uptake and cytotoxicity. No differences were detected between the cytotoxicity and DNA breakage produced by this antineoplastic acridine derivative among these three human cell lines. Uptake studies confirmed that no actual increased sensitivity was being masked by decreased intracellular drug. m-AMSA appears to be unique in its ability to produce breaks in cellular DNA that are not associated with an enhanced sensitivity in repair-deficient cells. Intercalator-induced, protein-associated DNA breaks are probably the result of a novel cellular response which differs from that which is abnormal in xeroderma pigmentosum or ataxia-telangiectasia cells.

To determine whether it is possible to separate antitumour and mutagenic properties in the nitracrine series, a number of 4-substituted derivatives of the hypoxia-selective drug nitracrine have been evaluated for their mutagenic effects at three loci in several strains of Salmonella typhimurium differing in DNA-repair capacity ( uvrB, recA , plasmid pKM101). The drugs divided into two series in terms of their biological effects. Group A compounds (nitracrine and its Cl, F, Me and OMe derivatives) were very toxic to bacteria, and uvrB and recA deletions enhanced toxicity by 10–80-fold. Mutagenic potency was high, being slightly enhanced by uvrB and reduced by recA deletions. In contrast the toxicities and mutagenic potentials of Group B compounds (COOMe, NMe 2 , and two other bulky amine derivatives) were reduced by at least an order of magnitude, with uvrB and recA deletions showing lesser influence. The COOMe derivative was the only compound showing greater effects at the hisC3076 locus than the hisD3052 or hisG46 loci. The data suggest that all the compounds cause mutations through intercalation and/or monoadduct formation, but only for the COOMe derivative is intercalation the dominant mode of action. Group A compounds appear to have the additional ability to cross-link DNA, a property which amounts for their high potency but which is not compatible with bulky 4-substituents. Apart from these generalizations, there was considerable variation in mutagenic efficiency (as measured by the maximum numbers of revertant colonies) within each series. Of the compounds studied, the 4-OMe derivative appears to best retain the desirable antitumour properties of nitracrine while showing greatly-reduced mutagenic potential, and is an interesting lead for further development.

Ethionine, the ethyl analogue of methionine, slightly reduced the yield of reversions of the hisC3076 frameshift marker induced by 9-aminoacridine (9AA) in an excision-proficient strain of Salmonella typhimurium, but completely abolished mutagenesis genesis by 9AA in the excision-deficient uvrB-deletion strain TA1537. No toxic effects of ethionine were apparent in either the excision-proficient or the excision-deficient strain. Because of the differential effects of ethionine on mutagenesis in the two strains, it seemed possible that an ethionine-sensitive step in the process(es) leading to fixation of 9AA-induced mutations might be compensated for by the uvrA,B,C+ excision-repair system. To further test this possibility, we used caffeine (a compound known to significantly reduce the efficacy of the excision-repair process) as a co-treatment with ethionine for cells of an excision-proficient strain exposed to 9AA. Treatment with caffeine alone or ethionine alone had very little effect on reversion yield, whereas co-treatment with the two agents abolished 9AA mutagenesis. It appeared, therefore, that either the caffeine-sensitive pathway or the ethionine-sensitive pathway needed to be functioning if 9AA-induced reversions of the hisC3076 marker were to be detected. Addition of methionine to cells of the excision-deficient strain exposed to 9AA restored their ability to be mutated by 9AA, however. In a base-pair substitution back-mutation system, ethionine slightly enhanced the yields of revertants of the trpE8 marker induced by 2-aminopurine (2AP) in both an excision-proficient strain (at all 2AP dose levels tested) and an excision-deficient strain (only at the lower dose levels). In the excision-deficient strain, doses of 2AP above 300 μg/plate were highly toxic when ethionine was also present. It was for this reason that no 2AP-induced revertants were recovered at the higher 2AP concentrations. Treatment of the trpE8 strain with methionine also enhanced the yield of 2AP-induced revertants of this marker.

Acridine dyes as a group are of considerable current interest because of the potential antileukaemic and antitumour properties of some derivatives, especially perhaps the anilino-substituted derivatives such as AMSA [4'-(9-acridinylamino)-methanesulphonanilide, Cain and Atwell, 1974]. Since the discovery of AMSA (which is undergoing clinical trials for effects against lymphoblastic malignancy and other forms of leukaemia), much work has been done in an attempt to extend the range of antileukaemic acridines available including the development of even more active molecules which show considerable promise as chemotherapeutic drugs against adult leukaemia (see e.g. Legha et al., 1978). Quantitative structure/activity relationships with a large series of 9-anilinoacridines suggest that the ability of these drugs to bind the DNA is a necessary but not sufficient prerequisite for antitumour activity (Baguley et al., 1981). For example, 9-aminoacridine (the parent molecule) binds as strongly to DNA as does AMSA, but is relatively inactive against cultured tumour cells (Baguley and Nash, 1981). Apart from their ability to bind to DNA, induction of frameshift mutations is a property of both acridines and anilinoacridines which has been extensively studied (Ferguson and Baguley, 1981; Ferguson and MacPhee, 1983), and attempt have been made to relate these activities to antileukae

The mutagenic potential of 9-[(3-dimethylaminopropyl)amino]-acridine and its 1-(nitracrine), 2-, 3- and 4-nitro derivatives was studied in several strains of Salmonella typhimurium, using a plate-incorporation assay. In view of the potential importance of DNA binding and nitro group reduction, binding constants and redox potentials were determined. The parent compound was mutagenic only in the frameshift tester strain TA1537, and this effect was not enhanced by the plasmid pKM101. Each of the nitroarenes showed significant activity in S. typhimurium strains TA1537 and TA1538, and this mutagenicity was enhanced by the presence of plasmid pKM101. All caused reversion of the base-pair substitution allele in hisG46 in strain TA100 and this effect was either largely or totally dependent upon the plasmid. The frameshift mutagenic effects of the 3-nitro and 4-nitro compounds appeared to be little dependent upon the classical nitroreductase which is deficient in strain TA98NR, or transacetylase enzyme lacking in strain TA98/1,8-DNP6, whereas the activity of the 1-nitro compound depended partly on that nitroreductase enzyme, and that of the 2-nitro compound on having both activities present. In the latter two cases, the mutagenic effects of the compounds could not be restored by the addition of an S9 mix of mammalian enzymes. Mutagenicity data were compared with physicochemical parameters. The results do not distinguish between the view that the orientation of the nitro group with respect to the aromatic plane dictates mutagenic potential, and the earlier view that the nitro group redox potential is important. However, the extraordinary mutagenic potency of the 1-NO2 derivative is not explainable by its physicochemical properties alone.

A search has been made for DNA-repair replication in cultured human cells treated with the DNA-intercalating agent 4′-(9-acridinylamino)methanesulphon- m -anisidide ( m -AMSA). Previous reports had suggested that the transient appearance of protein-associated DNA-strand breaks in mammalian cells treated with m -AMSA might be indicative of a rapid DNA-repair process. The present experiments suggest that such a repair process is unlikely to occur as, even in cells treated with high concentrations of m -AMSA (50 μM) for 20 h, DNA repair replication could not be detected down to the limits of sensitivity (1 million nucleotides replaced per cell).

The photodynamically produced mutagenicity and toxicity of 8 acridine compounds were compared in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under resting and growing conditions. Without irradiation none of the acridines induced respiratory-deficient ('petite') colonies, indicative of mitochondrial DNA damage, in resting cells; and only acriflavine and proflavine induced 'petites' in growing cells. Also, without irradiation none of the acridines were significantly toxic or mutagenic for nuclear DNA under resting or growing conditions. However, with irradiation, acriflavine, proflavine, acridine yellow and rivanol became effective 'petite'-inducing mutagens and highly toxic for resting cells, while acriflavine, proflavine, and acridine orange became effective nuclear mutagens for resting cells. Acridine, quinacrine and 9-aminoacridine were not at all biologically effective with irradiation for resting cells. The results presented here indicate that singlet oxygen is generated by a photodynamic mechanism when acriflavine is irradiated, and further, that acridine, quinacrine and 9-aminoacridine are ineffective photosensitizers, because they are incapable of generating singlet oxygen with irradiation.

A comparison has been made between the ability of different acridine compounds to act as sensitizers for visible light (400-700 nm) induced chromosomal aberrations and sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) in unsynchronized Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Cells were treated for 20 min with acridines (0.1-5.0 microgram/ml), washed free of excess dye and subsequently exposed to visible light (2 x 40 W/8 W m-2) either in air or in nitrogen for 5-15 min. The 4 acridines tested, proved to be effective sensitizers for the induction of both chromosomal aberrations and SCE by visible light. The most pronounced effect was observed when the light exposure of the fluorochrome-pretreated cells was performed in air. Hypoxic conditions during light exposure reduced the effect dramatically, especially in the case of induced chromosomal aberrations. The order of efficiency for the induction of both chromosomal aberrations and SCE was acridine orange greater than acridine yellow greater than proflavine greater than 3,6-diamino-10-methylacridine. The results are discussed in terms of S-independent versus S-dependent mechanisms for inducing chromosomal alterations and the potential involvement of oxygen-derived free radicals in this process.

We have studied the molecular nature of ade2 mutations induced by UV light and bifunctional acridine-mustard (BAM) in wild-type (RAD) and in excision-deficient (rad2) strains of the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the RAD strain, UV causes 45% GC----AT transitions among all mutations; in the rad2 strain this value is 77%. BAM was shown to be highly specific for frameshift mutagenesis: 60% frameshifts in the RAD strain, and as many as 84% frameshifts in the rad2 strain were induced. Therefore, the rad2 mutation affects the specificity of UV- and BAM-induced mutagenesis in yeast. Experimental data agree with the view that the majority of mutations in the RAD strain are induced by a prereplicative mechanism, whereas mutations in the RAD strain are induced by a prereplicative mechanism, whereas mutations in the rad2 strain are predominantly postreplicative events. Our results also suggest that: cytosine-containing photoproducts are the substances responsible for major premutational damage to cytosine-containing photoproducts are the substances responsible for major premutational damage to DNA; a fraction of the mutations may arise in the course of excision repair of UV photoproducts.

The antioxidants pyrogallol and its oxidative derivative, purpurogallin, both induce colicine E2 as well as base substitution and frameshift mutations. Because of the bactericidal effect of purpurogallin, its mutagenicity could be best demonstrated by short-term exposure followed by dilution on the test plates. The colicine-inducing potential of purpurogallin was also observed when tested directly on the plates.