Molecular and biochemical analyses of spontaneous and X-ray-induced mutants in human lymphoblastoid cells

Depletion of NK Cells Resistant to Ionizing Radiation Increases Mutations in Mice After Whole-body Irradiation

BACKGROUND

Ionizing radiation is a very powerful genetic mutagenic agent. Although immune cells are very sensitive to radiation, their sensitivity varies between different types of immune cell. We hypothesized that radiation-resistant immune cells survive after irradiation and then play a role in removing mutant cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Splenic lymphocytes and mice were irradiated with γ-rays. Cell populations were analyzed using flow cytometry after dyeing with antibodies and expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) was measured by western blot analysis. To deplete natural killer (NK) cells, anti-asialo GM1 antiserum was used. Micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes were measured by May-Grunwald/Giemsa staining. H-2Kb loss variant in T-cells induced by irradiation of B6C3F1 mice were detected by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

When splenic lymphocytes were irradiated in vitro, B cells notably died, while NK cells did not. In vivo, on the third day after whole-body irradiation, the total number of lymphocytes in the spleen decreased rapidly, but the proportion of NK cells was approximately three times higher than that of the normal control group. In addition, it was confirmed that high expression of BCL2 in NK cells was maintained after irradiation, whereas that of B-cells was not. Removal of NK cells by injection with anti-asialo GM1 antiserum immediately after irradiation increased the micronuclei of polychromatic erythrocytes in the bone marrow and the variant fraction with H-2kb loss in the spleen.

CONCLUSION

These results provide important evidence that radioresistant NK cells apparently survive by escaping apoptosis in the early stages after irradiation, and work to eliminate mutant cells resulting from γ-ray irradiation. Future studies are needed to reveal why NK cells are resistant to radiation and the in-depth mechanisms involved in the elimination of radiation-induced mutant cells.

Whole genome and normalized mRNA sequencing reveal genetic status of TK6, WTK1, and NH32 human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines

Closely related TK6, WTK1, and NH32 human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines differ in their p53 functional status. These lines are used frequently in genotoxicity studies and in studies aimed at understanding the role of p53 in DNA repair. Despite their routine use, little is known about the genetic status of these cells. To provide insight into their genetic composition, we sequenced and analyzed the entire genome of TK6 cells, as well as the normalized transcriptomes of TK6, WTK1, and NH32 cells. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) identified 21,561 genes and 5.17×10(6) small variants. Within the small variants, 50.54% were naturally occurring single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 49.46% were mutations. The mutations were comprised of 92.97% single base-pair substitutions and 7.03% insertions or deletions (indels). The number of predicted genes, SNPs, and small mutations are similar to frequencies observed in the human population in general. Normalized mRNA-seq analysis identified the expression of transcripts bearing SNPs or mutations for TK6, WTK1, and NH32 as 2.88%, 2.04%, and 1.71%, respectively, and several of the variant transcripts identified appear to have important implications in genetic toxicology. These include a single base deletion mutation in the ferritin heavy chain gene (FTH1) resulting in a frame shift and protein truncation in TK6 that impairs iron metabolism. SNPs in the thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) gene (TPMT*3A SNP), and in the xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme, NADPH quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) gene (NQO1*2 SNP), are both associated with decreased enzyme activity. The clinically relevant TPMT*3A and NQO1*2 SNPs can make these cell lines useful in pharmacogenetic studies aimed at improving or tailoring drug treatment regimens that minimize toxicity and enhance efficacy.

Re-evaluation of the Mutagenic Response to Phosphorothioate Nucleotides in Human Lymphoblastoid TK6 Cells

The degradation of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (PS-ONDs) and the release of potentially genotoxic modified mononucleotides raise a safety concern for OND-based therapeutics. Deoxyadenosine monophosphorothioate (dAMPαS), a PS nucleotide analog, has been reported to be a potent in vitro mutagen at the thymidine kinase (TK) locus in human TK6 lymphoblastoid cells. This led us to explore the mechanism behind the apparent positive response induced by dAMPαS in the TK gene-mutation assay in TK6 cells. In this work, treatment of TK6 cells with dAMPαS produced a dose-dependent increase in cytotoxicity and mutant frequency at the TK locus. Surprisingly, when the colonies from dAMPαS were re-challenged with the selective agent trifluorothymidine (TFT), the TFT-resistant phenotype was lost. Moreover, dAMPαS-induced colonies displayed distinct growth kinetics and required longer incubation time than 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide-induced colonies to start growing. Treatment of TK6 cells with dAMPαS induced cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase, enabling cells to grow, and form a colony after the efficacy of TFT in the culture medium was lost. Our findings suggest that a fraction of parental "nonmutant" TK6 cells escaped the toxicity of TFT, possibly via G1 arrest, and resumed growth after the degradation of TFT. We conclude that dAMPαS did not induce real TFT-resistant mutants and caution should be taken with interpretation of mutation data from TK gene-mutation assay in TK6 cells when assessing modified nucleotides.

EMS mutant spectra generated by multi-parameter flow cytometry

The CHO A(L) cell line contains a single copy of human chromosome 11 that encodes several cell surface proteins including glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) linked CD59 and CD90, as well as CD98, CD44 and CD151 which are not GPI-linked. The flow cytometry mutation assay (FCMA) measures mutations of the CD59 gene by the absence of fluorescence when stained with antibodies against the CD59 cell surface protein. We have measured simultaneous mutations in CD59, CD44, CD90, CD98 and CD151 to generate a mutant spectrum for ionizing radiation. After treatment with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) many cells have an intermediate level of CD59 staining. Single cells were sorted from CD59(-) regions with varying levels of fluorescence and the resulting clonal populations had a stable phenotype for CD59 expression. Mutant spectra were generated by flow cytometry using the isolated clones and nearly all clones were mutated in CD59 only. Interestingly, about 60% of the CD59 negative clones were actually GPI mutants determined by staining with the GPI specific fluorescently labeled bacterial toxin aerolysin (FLAER). The GPI negative cells are most likely caused by mutations in the X-linked pigA gene important in GPI biosynthesis. Small mutations of pigA and CD59 were expected for the alkylating agent EMS and the resulting spectra are significantly different than the large deletions found when analyzing radiation mutants. After analyzing the CD59(-) clonal populations we have adjusted the FCMA mutant regions from 1% to 10% of the mean of the CD59 positive peak to include the majority of CD59 mutants.

Multiparameter analysis of CHO AL mutant populations sorted on CD59 expression after gamma irradiation

The flow cytometry mutation assay is based on detecting mutations in the CD59 gene on human chromosome 11 in CHO A(L) cells with flow cytometry, but the kinetics of mutant expression and the histogram region for mutant selection have not been studied in detail. CHO A(L) cells were analyzed by flow cytometry for CD59 expression at various times after irradiation. The mutant fraction increased to a maximum at day 6 but decreased to near background levels by day 20. Cells were sorted from six different regions on the CD59 histograms after irradiation. The growth rate was similar for cells from all regions, and the surviving fraction was 50% of that for control cells. By 14 days the CD59 expression of cells from regions 2-5 was reduced to that of region 1. Cells were also analyzed for simultaneous expression of CD59, CD44 and CD90 (all on chromosome 11) to roughly characterize the size of the mutations. Triple mutants from the sorted populations were reduced from 41% on day 6 to 8% on day 24. We conclude that the mutant region should be increased to include cells with intermediate CD59 expression; also, the loss of CD59 mutant expression over time could be explained in part by the loss of triple mutants from the population.

Generation of loss of heterozygosity and its dependency on p53 status in human lymphoblastoid cells

Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) is a critical event in the development of human cancers. LOH is thought to result from either a large deletion or recombination between homologous alleles during repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). These types of genetic alterations produce mutations in the TK gene mutation assay, which detects a wide mutational spectrum, ranging from point mutations to LOH-type mutations. TK6, a human lymphoblastoid cell line, is heterozygous for the thymidine kinase (TK) gene and has a wild-type p53 gene. The related cell lines, TK6-E6 and WTK-1, which are p53-deficient and p53-mutant (Ile237), respectively, are also heterozygous for the TK gene and LOH-type mutation can be detected in these cells. Therefore, comparative studies of TK mutation frequency and spectrum with these cell lines are useful for elucidating the role of p53 in generating LOH and maintaining genomic stability in human cells. We demonstrate here that LOH and its associated genomic instability strongly depend on the p53 status in these cells. TK6-E6 and WTK-1 are defective in the G1/S checkpoint and in apoptosis. Unrepaired DSBs that escape from the checkpoint can potentially initiate genomic instability after DNA replication, resulting in LOH and a variety of chromosome changes. Moreover, genomic instability is enhanced in WTK-1 cells. It is likely that the mutant p53 protein in WTK-1 cells increases LOH in a dominant-negative manner due to its abnormal recombination capacity. We discuss the mutator phenotype and genomic instability associated with p53 inactivation with the goal of elucidating the mechanisms of mutation and DNA repair in untargeted mutagenesis.

Fanconi anemia C gene product plays a role in the fidelity of blunt DNA end-joining

Mutations in genes controlling the correct functioning of the replicative, repair and recombination machineries may lead to genomic instability. A high level of spontaneous chromosomal aberrations amplified by treatment with DNA cross-linking agents is the hallmark of Fanconi anemia (FA), an inherited chromosomal instability syndrome associated with cancer proneness. Two of the eight FA genes have been cloned (FAA and FAC), but their function has not yet been defined. The lack of homology with known genes suggests the involvement of FA genes in a novel pathway specific to vertebrates. Using a DNA end-joining assay in cultured cells, we studied the processing of both blunt and cohesive-ended double strand breaks (DSB) in normal and FA cells. The results show that: (i) the overall ligation efficiency is normal in FA lymphoblasts; (ii) in FA-C, error-free processing of blunt-ended DSB is markedly decreased, resulting in a higher deletion frequency and larger deletion size; (iii) the fidelity of processing of blunt-DSB is completely restored in FACC cells (complemented with wild-type FAC gene) and the deletion size shifted to values similar to that observed in normal cells; (iv) the fidelity of cohesive end-joining is not affected in FA cells; (v) activities and/or expression of known factors involved in DSB processing, such as the components of the DNA-PK complex and XRCC4, are normal in FA cells. Our results provide strong evidence that the lack of a functional FAC gene results in loss of fidelity of end-joining, which likely accounts for the FA-C phenotype of chromosome instability. We conclude that FAC, and perhaps all FA gene products, are likely to play a role in the fidelity of end-joining of specific DSB.

The fidelity of double strand breaks processing is impaired in complementation groups B and D of Fanconi anemia, a genetic instability syndrome

In mammalian cells, nonhomologous end-joining is the predominant mechanism to eliminate DNA double strand breaks. Such events are at the origin of deletion mutagenesis and chromosomal rearrangements. The hallmark of Fanconi anemia, an inherited cancer prone disorder, is increased chromosomal breakage associated to over-production of deletions. Knowing that double strand breaks are at the origin of deletion mutagenesis, the question arises whether their processing is affected in FA. We set up a "host cell end-joining assay" to analyze the fate of double strand breaks into extrachromosomal substrates transiently replicated in normal and FA-D lymphoblasts. Although no difference in plasmid survival was found, blunt-ended breaks were sealed with significantly lower fidelity in FA cells, resulting in a higher deletion frequency and a larger deletion size. The results suggest that FA-D and FA-B gene products are likely to play a role in end-joining fidelity of specific DNA double strand breaks.

Mutation induction in gamma-irradiated primary human bronchial epithelial cells and molecular analysis of the HPRT- mutants

We have examined various radiobiological parameters using commercially-available primary normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells, which can be subcultured more than 20 population doublings, and have established the mutation system in order to characterize the molecular changes in gamma-irradiated primary cells. The survival curve, obtained after irradiation of cells with 137Cs gamma-rays, indicates that the D0, Dq, and n values are 1.34 Gy, 1.12 Gy, and 2.3, respectively. The induction of HPRT- mutation was dose-dependent and the mutant fraction increased in a non-linear fashion. Since the doubling number of NHBE cells is limited, DNA was extracted directly from the single mutant colonies and alteration in the HPRT gene locus was analyzed using multiplex PCR technique. Among spontaneous mutants, the proportion with total and partial deletions of the gene was 10.0% (2/20) and 60.0% (12/20), respectively, while 30.0% (6/20) did not have any detectable changes in the nine exons examined. On the other hand, the fraction of total deletion increased by more than 2-fold among mutants induced by gamma-rays in that 26.3% (10/38) of them showed the total gene deletions. Twenty-five out of 38 gamma-induced mutants (65.8%) had partial deletions and 3 mutants (7.9%) had no detectable alteration. The present results showed that gamma-irradiation efficiently induced HPRT gene mutation in primary human epithelial cells and that most of the induced mutants suffered larger deletions compared to that observed in spontaneous mutants. This system provides an useful tool for determination of mutagenicity and understanding the molecular mechanisms of environmental carcinogens in primary human bronchial cells.

Increased hprt mutant frequencies in Brazilian children accidentally exposed to ionizing radiation

We have examined the effects of ionizing radiation on somatic mutations in vivo, using the hprt clonal assay. The study was performed on blood samples obtained from children exposed during a radiological accident that happened in 1987, in Goiânia, Brazil. The group of children exposed to ionizing radiation includes six males and four females ranging in age from 6 to 14 years at the time of exposure. The radiation doses ranged from 15 to 70 cGy. A Brazilian control group, not exposed to ionizing radiation, was also analyzed under similar conditions. the mean hprt mutant frequency for the exposed group was 4.6 times higher than the control group, although the cloning efficiency from the exposed group was significantly reduced. Linear regression analysis of the mutant frequency and ionizing radiation dose did not show a significant relationship between these two parameters. However, a reliable inverse relationship was demonstrated when the regression analysis was performed with nonselective cloning efficiency and ionizing radiation dose. It was demonstrated that nonselective cloning efficiency diminishes as ionizing radiation dose increases. To correct mutant frequencies for clonal events, the clonal relationship between the hprt mutant clones was examined by T-cell receptor analysis. The majority of the mutants analyzed represented individual clones, thus validating the observed mutant frequencies.

Heavy ion mutagenesis: linear energy transfer effects and genetic linkage

We have characterized a series of 69 independent mutants at the endogenous hprt locus of human TK6 lymphoblasts and over 200 independent S1-deficient mutants of the human x hamster hybrid cell line AL arising spontaneously or following low-fluence exposures to densely ionizing Fe ions (600 MeV/amu, linear energy transfer = 190 keV/microns). We find that large deletions are common. The entire hprt gene (> 44 kb) was missing in 19/39 Fe-induced mutants, while only 2/30 spontaneous mutants lost the entire hprt coding sequence. When the gene of interest (S1 locus = M1C1 gene) is located on a nonessential human chromosome 11, multilocus deletions of several million base pairs are observed frequently. The S1 mutation frequency is more than 50-fold greater than the frequency of hprt mutants in the same cells. Taken together, these results suggest that low-fluence exposures to Fe ions are often cytotoxic due to their ability to create multilocus deletions that may often include the loss of essential genes. In addition, the tumorigenic potential of these HZE heavy ions may be due to the high potential for loss of tumor suppressor genes. The relative insensitivity of the hprt locus to mutation is likely due to tight linkage to a gene that is required for viability.

Mutant frequency at the H-2K class 1 and HPRT genes in T lymphocytes from the X-ray-exposed mouse

The frequency of H-2Kk and HPRT-deficient T cells was measured in the H-2Kb, kDd,k genotype mouse 8-10 weeks after X-ray exposure at doses up to 6 Gy to compare the mutant frequency (MF) of an autosomal gene with that of an X-chromosomal gene. H-2K mutants were enriched by magnetic cell separation (MACS) using the H-2Kk-specific monoclonal antibody H100.5/28 and were isolated by limiting dilution cloning. Finally, the mutant phenotype was verified by flow cytometric analysis in a representative number of clones. The frequency of HPRT-deficient T cells rises from 2.5 x 10(-6) at 0 Gy to a maximum of 1.13 x 10(-4) at 4 Gy, and decreases to 2.9 x 10(-5) at 6 Gy. The H-2K- MF in the non-irradiated mouse was 8.4 x 10(-7). It increases with dose to a maximum of 8.1 x 10(-6) at 4 Gy and declines to 3.3 x 10(-6) at 6 Gy. The H-2K- MF measured depends on the monoclonal antibody used for the isolation of mutants. In a pilot study with another H-2Kk-specific monoclonal antibody (11.4.1), the spontaneous MF was four times higher than in experiments with the H100.5/28 monoclonal antibody. The expression of other class 1 antigens was investigated in H-2K- clones. The H-2Dd antigen had also disappeared in six of 41 clones from irradiated animals. This gene is situated at a distance of 1500 kb from the K-locus. The H-2Kb antigen was present in every investigated clone. In the discussion a model is presented that explains the shape of the dose-response curve of MF by selection against mutants in vivo systems under homeostasis. The results of the present investigation indicate that observed X-ray mutagenicity depends on many factors and that several genes have to be explored before reliable risk estimates are possible.

Molecular analysis of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase gene deletions induced by alpha- and X-radiation in human lymphoblastoid cells

Mutations caused by exposure to X-radiation and to radon and its decay products were compared in the hprt gene of a human lymphoblastoid cell line. Thirty-one X-radiation-induced, 29 radon-induced, and 24 spontaneous mutants were recovered from cell cultures under identical conditions except for the exposure to radiation. Seven spontaneous point mutations were recovered and DNA sequenced. These mutations included three C:G-->T:A transitions. These spontaneous point mutations were located in the exon or splice donor regions of five of the nine hprt exons. Four X-radiation-induced and three radon-induced point mutations were also analyzed by DNA sequencing. The frequency of induced mutants at the D0 doses for radon and X-radiation respectively were 5 x 10(-6) and 4.5 x 10(-6). Deletions were the predominant mutations recovered from both radon- and X-irradiated cells. Eighty-one percent of the mutants from X-radiation-treated cultures, 86% of the radon-treated cultures, and 63% of the spontaneous mutants involved deletions. Deletions involving exon and intron DNA, as well as intron DNA alone, were found to inactivate the hprt gene and result in a selectable HPRT- phenotype. Among the deletion mutants, however, only 21% of the spontaneous mutants versus 55% of both the X-radiation- and radon-induced mutants exhibited loss of the entire hprt gene. More X-radiation-induced deletions than radon-induced deletions extended further than 800 bp in the telomeric direction from the hprt gene (six of 17 versus two of 17). The results show that at the human hprt locus of TK-6 cells the predominant kind of mutation indicative of exposure to both high LET alpha-radiation and low LET X-radiation is a large deletion, spanning the entire hemizygous hprt gene and extending into flanking sequences.

Transgenic gpt+ V79 cell lines differ in their mutagenic response to clastogens

Several gpt+ transgenic cell lines were derived from hprt V79 cells to study mutagenesis mechanisms in mammalian cells. The G12 cell line was previously shown to be hypermutable by X-rays and UV at the gpt locus compared to the endogenous hprt gene of the parental V79 cells (Klein and Rossman, 1990), and is now shown to be highly mutable by the clastogenic anti-tumor agent bleomycin sulfate. A second transgenic cell line G10, which has a different gpt insertion site, was studied in comparison with G12. Both G12 and G10 cell lines carry the stable gpt locus at a single integration site in the Chinese hamster genome, and neither spontaneously deletes the integrated gpt sequence at a high frequency. Although spontaneous mutation to 6-thioguanine resistance in G10 cells is 3-4 times higher than in G12 cells, the cell lines differ to a much greater extent when mutated by clastogens. In comparison to G12 cells, the gpt locus in G10 cells is up to 13 times more sensitive to bleomycin mutagenesis and 5 times more responsive to X-ray mutagenesis. In contrast, there is much less difference in UV-induced mutagenesis and no differences in mutagenesis induced by alkylating agents such as N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). The dose-dependent decrease in survival of the transgenic cells is the same for all mutagens tested, and does not differ from that of V79 cells. Neither transgenic cell line is generally hypermutable, since mutagenesis at an endogenous gene, Na+K+/ATPase, is similar to that of the parental V79 cell line. Although both cell lines can be induced to delete the transgene following clastogen exposure, deletions are not the only recovered mutations, and the cell lines can also be used to study mutations within the PCR recoverable gpt gene. The utility of these transgenic cells to investigate genome position effects related to mammalian mutagenesis mechanisms is discussed.

Adaptive response to mutagenesis and its molecular basis in a human T-cell leukemia line primed with a low dose of gamma-rays

The effect was studied of a low dose of gamma-ray preexposure on the frequency and molecular spectrum of radiation-induced mutations at the hprt locus in a human T-cell leukemia line. When the cells were preexposed to 0.01 Gy of gamma-rays, the yield of mutations induced by a subsequent 2-Gy challenge dose was reduced by 60%, compared with the 2 Gy of irradiation alone. The data of Southern blot analysis showed that 47% of the mutants induced by 2 Gy in the cells without low-dose preexposure were of the deletion or rearranged mutations type. In contrast, in the low-dose radioadapted cells the proportion of this type of 2-Gy-induced mutations decreased to 28%. This is close to the control level (22%) of spontaneous mutations. Our results confirm that a low dose of gamma-ray preexposure leads to a decreased susceptibility to gene deletions and rearrangements after high-dose irradiation.

Molecular analysis of ethylene oxide-induced mutations at the HPRT locus in human diploid fibroblasts

Ethylene oxide (EtO)-induced mutations in the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene were characterized in 28 independently derived 6-thioguanine-resistant human diploid fibroblast clones using polymerase chain reaction-based techniques and Southern blot analysis. Sequence analysis revealed one single base pair deletion and 13 base substitutions, nine of which were transversions: five AT-->TA, three GC-->TA and one GC-->CG. Four mutants were found to have GC-->AT transitions. Seven of the point mutations caused splicing errors. Six occurred in splice site sequences and one created a new splice acceptor site 16 bp upstream of exon 9. Three splice mutations were localized at the same site in the splice donor sequence of intron 8. Fourteen mutants had large HPRT gene deletions. In seven mutants the entire HPRT gene was deleted. The remaining deletion mutants had a truncated HPRT gene, where one or several exons were lost. These results show that EtO induces many different kinds of HPRT mutations, among which as many as 50% are large deletions.

Molecular analysis of mutations in the hprt gene in circulating lymphocytes from normal and DNA-repair-deficient donors

Circulating lymphocytes from patients with the DNA-repair-deficient disorders, xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) and ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) have elevated frequencies of mutants at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (hprt) locus. We have analysed the DNA sequence of the hprt gene in mutants from normal donors, and compared them with mutants from XP and A-T individuals. In normal donors we found a range of mutations including principally transitions (40%), transversions (32%) and small deletions (20%). In an excision-deficient XP donor from complementation group C the mutation spectrum was similar to that from normal donors, whereas in an XP variant there was a significantly higher frequency (44%) of small deletions. In the two A-T donors, there was a high frequency of large deletions (22 and 75%) compared with only 4% in normal donors.

An improved procedure for the in vitro expansion of human T-lymphocyte clones for mutant analysis

Assays detecting mutants present in human peripheral blood T-lymphocytes have been developed to monitor the population for somatic mutations. In order to investigate the nature of the mutations, colonies are further expanded in vitro by repeated lectin stimulation. To characterise fully each mutant clone, sufficient cells (approximately 10(7)) must be available for several molecular and biochemical techniques to be employed. These techniques, and their importance to the assay for population monitoring, are discussed briefly. We report here that the expansion of mutant colonies to approximately 10(7) cells by repeated lectin stimulation is not effective for all T-cell clones but that an alternative "lectin free" expansion method has enabled us to expand all the clones tested from a variety of normal donors and other individuals of interest.

Mutational specificity of oxidative DNA damage

In this paper we describe our studies on the mutagenic consequences of oxidative DNA damage introduced by radiation-induced OH radicals (.OH) and by exposure to singlet oxygen (1O2), released by thermo-dissociation of the endoperoxide 3,3'-(1,4-naphthalidene) dipropionate (NDPO2). We have made use of M13mp10 bacteriophage and pUC18 plasmid DNA, containing a 144 base pair (bp) insert in the lacZ alpha gene. This 144 bp insert was used as a mutational target sequence. When dilute aqueous solutions of double-stranded (ds) M13mp10 (plus 144 bp insert) were gamma-irradiated in the presence of oxygen (O2; 100% .OH) or nitrous oxide (N2O; 90% .OH, 10% .H), very specific mutation spectra were found. Mainly bp substitutions were observed, of which C/G to G/C transversions are the predominant type. Moreover, the mutations are for the most part concentrated into two mutational hot spots: a minor and major one. Differences between the oxic (O2) and anoxic (N2O) mutation spectra could also be observed. Under N2O-1 bp deletions were detected, which are absent in the presence of O2, and in the anoxic spectrum more C/G to A/T transversions are present. To investigate whether these differences were due to the small amount of H radicals, which are formed under N2O, ds M13mp10 (plus 144 bp insert) was exposed to gamma-rays in phosphate buffer under nitrogen (55% .H, 45% .OH). Under these conditions a remarkable shift was observed from C/G-->G/C to C/G-->A/T transversions, while the mutations were far more scattered along the 144 bp sequence and no -1 bp deletions were detected. These results strongly suggest that H radicals do not cause -1 bp deletions, but may be responsible for the observed C/G to A/T transversions. The kind of bp substitution not only appeared to be dependent on the type of the water radicals, but also appeared to be strongly influenced by the replicon in which the target sequence is incorporated. When an oxygenated solution of pUC18 plasmid DNA (plus 144 bp insert) is irradiated, mainly C/G to A/T transversions were found at the same major hot spot instead of C/G to G/C transversions when the 144 bp sequence is part of M13mp10 DNA. Finally, in agreement with the observation that 1O2 reacts preferentially with guanine in DNA, a guanine is involved in most of the mutations scored after exposure of single-stranded (ss) M13mp10 DNA to NDPO2-generated 1O2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Analysis of large deletions in the HPRT gene of primary human fibroblasts using the polymerase chain reaction

Spontaneous and X-ray-induced mutants of the HPRT gene were isolated from two primary human fibroblast lines. The limited life-span of the mutants restricted the use of methods requiring large quantities of DNA, and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used in particular to check for the presence of multiple genomic sites in mutant analysis. Robust PCR primers were designed to amplify sites of up to 1 kb, mostly with 1-kb spacings between sites, over the entire 56-kb HPRT gene region. Using PCR, large deletions were found in 43% of independent X-ray-induced mutants, and their breakpoints were localized where these fell within the gene. Anonymous DNA sites in the Xq26 chromosomal region containing HPRT (covering > or = 1.5 Mb) were also amplified by PCR to assess codeletion with HPRT; sites up to 1 Mb distal to the gene (DXS86, DXS10) were codeleted in some mutants, but no mutant was found with loss of a proximal site (DXS79).

Restriction fragment pattern analysis of HPRT mutations induced in rat-liver epithelial cells by alkylating and arylating agents

Structural alterations in the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) gene in genomic DNA of adult rat-liver (ARL) epithelial cells that were mutated by alkylating and arylating mutagens were studied by restriction enzyme fragment pattern (RFP) analysis. ARL cells were mutated with the direct-acting alkylating agent N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) or the activation-dependent arylating agents 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and N-2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF). Alterations in the HPRT gene of at least 10 independent 6-thioguanine-resistant (TGr) clones mutated by each chemical were analyzed using 8 different restriction endonucleases; Hind III, EcoRI, BamHI, XbaI, Hae III, XhoI, MspI and PstI, and a full-length HPRT cDNA as a probe in molecular hybridization. Among the 10 MNNG-induced mutants, the RFPs obtained with most endonucleases displayed no changes, while an altered RFP was found in only one mutant using XbaI. None of the 10 DMBA-induced mutants displayed altered RFPs. Restriction analysis of the 10 AAF-induced mutants showed no abnormality in HPRT gene structure in most restriction digests, while altered RFPs were detected in one mutant using MspI and in two mutants with XbaI digestion. Overall, the studies reveal an absence of major DNA sequence changes in 26 of 30 induced mutants although the mutant phenotype of 4 of the TGr clones can be attributed to gross chromosomal changes or a point mutation at the restriction site. The absence of detectable alterations in the RFPs of the majority of the mutants is strongly suggestive of base substitution as the major molecular alteration underlying the mutant phenotype. The HPRT activity of 14 of 30 mutants was at least 5% of the wild-type level, which is consistent with a structural alteration in the gene product expressed as partial activity of the enzyme. Therefore, the data are interpreted as indicating that in the ARL cells, all 3 mutagens induced primarily localized alterations in base sequences in the HPRT gene together with a few mutations involving large sequence changes.

Mutagenicity of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine to TK6 human lymphoblast cells

TK6 human lymphoblast cells (tk +/-; hprt+) were treated with various concentrations of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine (AHA) for 24 h. AHA was quite toxic to TK6 cells in the dose range 0-0.05 micrograms/ml, but additional toxicity was not observed between 0.05 and 0.10 micrograms/ml. AHA induced mutations at 2 distinct genetic loci: the autosomal thymidine kinase (tk) and the X-linked hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (hprt). Significant levels of both tk-NG mutants (normal growth rate of 16-18 h, colonies visible after 10-11 days incubation) and tk-SG mutants (slow growth rate of greater than 24 h, colonies visible after 18 days incubation) were induced. 15 hprt- mutants were isolated and analyzed by Southern blot. 8 of these had normal restriction fragment patterns after digestion with PstI, EcoRI, and HindIII, and were defined as 'point' mutations; the remaining 7 had partial deletions of the hprt gene. 32 tk- mutants were also isolated. 3 of 22 normal growth mutants and 6 of 10 slow growth mutants had lost the active tk allele. These data suggest that both point mutations and larger-scale alterations are induced by AHA.

Human lymphocytes exposed to low doses of X-rays are less susceptible to radiation-induced mutagenesis

Human lymphocytes exposed to low doses of X-rays become refractory to the subsequent induction of chromosomal damage by high doses of radiation (Shadley and Wolff, 1987). The current study was designed to test the effect of pretreatment of human T-lymphocytes with a low dose of X-rays on the induction of mutations at the hprt locus by a subsequent challenge dose. When cells were exposed to 1 cGy X-rays 24 h after phytohemagglutinin stimulation, the yield of mutations induced by a 300 cGy X-ray dose given 16 h later was reduced by approximately 70% from the control level of X-ray-induced mutations. This indicates that this previously described adaptive response to low dose X-rays also results in lymphocytes becoming refractory to the induction of gene mutations.

Ionizing radiation and genetic risks. III. Nature of spontaneous and radiation-induced mutations in mammalian in vitro systems and mechanisms of induction of mutations by radiation

This paper (1) presents an analysis of published data on the molecular nature of spontaneously arising and radiation-induced mutations in mammalian somatic cell systems and (2) examines whether the molecular nature and mechanisms of origin of radiation-induced mutations, in mammalian in vivo and in vitro systems, as currently understood, are consistent with expectations based on the biophysical and microdosimetric properties of ionizing radiation. Depending on the test system (CHO cells, human T lymphocytes and human lymphoid cell line TK6), 80-97% of spontaneous HPRT mutations show normal Southern patterns; the remainder is due to gross changes, predominantly partial (intragenic) deletions. Total gene deletions at the HPRT locus are rare except in the TK6 cell line. At the APRT locus in CHO cells, 80-97% of spontaneous mutations are due to base-pair changes, the remainder being, mostly, partial deletions. The latter can extend upstream in the 5' direction but not beyond the APRT gene in the 3' direction. At the human HLA-A locus (T lymphocytes), the percentage of mutations with normal Southern patterns is lower than that for HPRT, and in the range of 50-60%. At the HLA-A locus, mitotic recombination contributes substantially to the mutation spectrum (approximately 30% of mutations recovered) and this is likely to be true of the TK locus in the TK6 cell line as well. With a few exceptions, most of the radiation-induced mutations show altered Southern patterns and are consistent with their being deletions and/or other gross changes (HPRT, 70-90% (CHO); 50-85% (TK6); 50-75% (T lymphocytes); TK, 60-80% (TK6); HLA-A, 80% (T lymphocytes); DHFR, 100% (CHO]. The exceptions are APRT mutations in CHO cells (16-20% of mutants with deletions or other changes) and HPRT mutations in T lymphocytes from A-bomb survivors (15-25%); the latter finding is consistent with the occurrence of in vivo selection against HPRT mutant cells. In cases of HPRT intragenic deletions analyzed (CHO cells and V79 Chinese hamster cells), there is evidence for a non-random distribution of breakpoints. The spontaneous mutation frequencies vary widely, from about 0.04/10(6) cells (sickle cell mutations at the human HBB locus) to 30.8/10(6) cells (HLA-A mutations in T lymphocytes) and are dependent on the locus, the system employed and a number of other factors. Those for the other loci fall between these limits.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Detection of 6-thioguanine-resistant spleen lymphocytes in different mouse strains by autoradiography

The variant frequencies for 6-thioguanine-resistant spleen cells in different mouse strains have been estimated by autoradiography for animals without chemical treatment and in cases of in vivo mutagen dosage with ethylnitrosourea and cyclophosphamide, respectively. In untreated mice, the following variant frequencies have been found: C57Bl/6J, 2.84 x 10(-5);NMRI, 3.04 x 10(-5);DBA/2J, 5.91 x 10(-5). The selective concentration of 6-thioguanine was 100 microM for strains NMRI and DBA, while in the case of C57Bl with this concentration, no variant cells could be counted and a selective concentration of 50 microM was chosen. Treatment with 70, 140, and 210 mg/kg ethylnitrosourea resulted in increased variant frequencies in cells isolated 8 or 15 days later. On the other hand, doses of 20, 60, and 120 mg/kg cyclophosphamide did not result in a clear dose-response relationship of variant frequency in cells isolated 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 days after treatment. These data are discussed with respect to findings in human populations exposed occupationally to cyclophosphamide.

Molecular analysis of hprt mutants induced by 2-cyanoethylene oxide in human lymphoblastoid cells

The mutagenic epoxide metabolite of acrylonitrile, 2-cyanoethylene oxide (ANO), was used to treat human TK6 lymphoblasts (150 microM x 2 h ANO). A collection of hypoxanthine-phosphoribosyltransferase (hprt) mutants was isolated and characterized by dideoxy sequencing of cloned hprt cDNA. Base-pair substitution mutations in the hprt coding region were observed in 19/39 of hprt mutants: 11 occurred at AT base pairs and 8 at GC base pairs. Two -1 frameshift mutations involving GC bases were also observed. Approximately half (17/39) of the hprt mutants displayed the complete loss of single and multiple exons from hprt cDNA, as well as small deletions, some extending from exon/exon junctions. Southern blot analysis of 5 mutants with single exon losses revealed no visible alterations. Analysis of 1 mutant missing exons 3-6 in its hprt mRNA revealed a visible deletion in the corresponding region in its genomic DNA. The missing exon regions of 4 mutants (one each with exons 6, 7 and 8 loss and one mutant with a 17-base deletion of the 5' region of exon 9) were PCR amplified from genomic DNA and analyzed by Southern blot using exon-specific probes. The exons missing from the hprt mRNA were present in the genomic hprt sequence. DNA sequencing of the appropriate intron/exon regions of hprt genomic DNA from a mutant with exon 8 loss and a mutant exhibiting aberrant splicing in exon 9 revealed point mutations in the splice acceptor site of exon 8 (T----A) and exon 9 (A----G), respectively.

Hypomutability in Fanconi anemia cells is associated with increased deletion frequency at the HPRT locus

Fanconi anemia (FA) is an inherited human disorder associated with a predisposition to cancer and characterized by anomalies in the processing of DNA cross-links and certain monoadducts. We reported previously that the frequency of psoralen-photoinduced mutations at the HPRT locus is lower in FA cells than in normal cells. This hypomutability is shown here to be associated with an increased frequency of deletions in the HPRT gene when either a mixture of cross-links and monoadducts or monoadducts alone are induced. Molecular analysis of mutants in the HPRT gene was carried out. In normal cells the majority of spontaneous and induced mutants are point mutations whereas in FA deletion mutations predominate. In that case a majority of mutants were found to lack individual exons or small clusters of exons whereas in normal cells large (complete or major gene loss) and small deletions are almost equally represented. Thus we propose that the FA defect lies in a mutagenic pathway that, in normal cells, involves bypassing lesions and subsequent gap filling by a recombinational process during replication.

Molecular characterization of X-ray-induced mutations at the HPRT locus in plateau-phase Chinese hamster ovary cells

CHO-K1 cells were irradiated in plateau phase to determine the effect of dose, dose fractionation, and delayed replating on the type, location and frequency of mutations induced by 250 kVp X-rays at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) locus. Independent HPRT-deficient cell lines were isolated from each group for Southern blot analysis using a hamster HPRT cDNA probe. When compared with irradiation with 4 Gy and immediate replating, dose fractionation (2 Gy + 24 h + 2 Gy) the entire gene. Since an increase in survival was noted under these conditions, these data suggest that repair of sublethal and potentially lethal damage acts equally on all premutagenic lesions, regardless of type or location. Differences in the mutation spectrum were noted when cells were irradiated at 2 Gy and replated immediately. The location of the deletion breakpoints was determined in 15 mutants showing partial loss of the HPRT locus. In 12 of these cell lines one or both of the breakpoints appeared to be located near the center of the gene, indicating a nonrandom distribution of mutations. These results indicate that damage induced by ionizing radiation results in a nonrandom distribution of genetic damage, suggesting that certain regions of the genome may be acutely sensitive to the mutagenic effects of ionizing radiation.

Molecular analysis of complex human cell populations: mutational spectra of MNNG and ICR-191

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.

Enhanced mutability at the tk locus in the radiosensitive double-strand break repair mutant xrs5

The thymidine kinase locus (tk) has been utilised as the target locus to measure the induced mutation frequency following X-irradiation in the X-ray-sensitive xrs5 mutant and its parent CHO K1 line of Chinese hamster cells. Mutations to tk- cells were measured by plating cells in selective medium containing trifluorothymidine after a post-irradiation expression time of 4 days. Our results show that the mutation frequency was 3-4 times higher in the xrs5 mutant than in the CHO K1 cell line. This enhanced mutation frequency in xrs5 is though to result from the deficiency in DNA double-strand break repair in this cell line which also results in the enhanced cell killing and higher frequencies of chromosomal aberrations in response to X-irradiation. The findings of the present study suggest that DNA double-strand break is a critical lesion leading to mutations in irradiated cells.

Mutation induction by 125iodoacetylproflavine, a DNA-intercalating agent, in human cells

Survival and the induction of mutations at the hprt and tk loci were measured in TK6 human lymphoblastoid cells following treatment with the DNA-intercalating agent 125iodoacetylproflavine (125IAP). 125IAP was readily taken up into the cells, was localized to the nucleus, and was released rapidly following resuspension of the cells in fresh medium. Treatment with 125IAP for 24 h yielded a D0 of 110 decays/cell and an induced mutant fraction of 0.13 x 10(-6) per decay at the hprt locus and 0.4 x 10(-6) per decay at the tk locus. Molecular analyses of 125IAP-induced hprt mutants by Southern blot revealed a high proportion of large-scale changes at this locus. When these results are compared with those observed with 125IdUrd, 125IAP shows a reduced effectiveness per decay, related perhaps to the non-covalent nature of intercalator binding, resulting in reduced energy deposition in the DNA.

Molecular changes in UV-induced and gamma-ray-induced mutations in human lymphoblastoid cells

We have characterized the structural changes in the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene of 14 UV-induced, 15 gamma-ray-induced and 17 spontaneous mutants of human lymphoblastoid cells selected for 6-thioguanine (6TG) resistance. Southern blot analysis using the full-length HPRT cDNA as a probe revealed that 29% (5/17) of the spontaneous mutants contained detectable alterations in their restriction fragment patterns. Among the 15 mutants induced by gamma rays, 7 (47%) had such alterations indicative of large deletions in the HPRT gene. In contrast, all 14 UV-induced mutants exhibited hybridization patterns indistinguishable from those of the wild-type cells. These results suggest that UV is likely to induce point mutations at the HPRT locus on the human chromosome and that the molecular mechanism of UV-induced mutation is quite different from that of ionizing radiation-induced mutation or spontaneous mutation in human cells.

Southern-blot analyses of human T-lymphocyte mutants induced in vitro by gamma-irradiation

G0 phase cultures of human peripheral blood T-lymphocytes from a single individual were exposed to 300 rad of gamma-irradiation from a 137Cs source and cultured in vitro for 8 days to allow phenotypic expression. Thioguanine-resistant (TGr) mutants were isolated by a cell cloning assay in microtiter plates. These mutants were studied by Southern blot analysis to define the gross structural alterations in the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (hprt) gene by use of an hprt cDNA probe. A similar analysis of the T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement patterns was employed to define the independent nature of each mutant colony by use of TCR beta and gamma cDNA probes. 74 mutants were isolated in 5 separate experiments. TCR gene rearrangement analysis showed these to represent 24 independent mutations, of which 18 contained hprt structural alterations. These alterations included simple deletions (10/18) as well as more complex rearrangements resulting in molecular weight changes of restriction fragments representing both the 5' and 3' regions of the hprt gene (4/18 and 4/18, respectively). These results demonstrate that gamma-irradiation primarily induces TGr mutations through gross structural alterations in the hprt gene and that these alterations are randomly distributed across the gene. This approach to mutation analysis will provide information on the types of alterations induced by this irradiation, especially the extent of deletions involving the hprt gene. These results also demonstrate the feasibility of employing in vitro exposure of human T-lymphocytes to a single mutagenic agent as an aid to understanding the mechanisms of mutations occurring in vivo in humans.

Increased frequency of 6-thioguanine-resistant lymphocytes in peripheral blood of workers employed in cyclophosphamide production

The frequency of 6-thioguanine-resistant peripheral blood lymphocytes has been determined by autoradiography in a control population and a population of cyclophosphamide-exposed individuals. The mean variant frequency in a non-exposed population was found to be 2.76 +/- 1.48 X 10(-5). Subpopulations of smokers and non-smokers revealed statistically significant differences in the variant frequencies, i.e. 3.52 +/- 1.55 X 10(-5) and 2.07 +/- 1.05 X 10(-5) respectively. In 20 out of a total of 23 individuals employed in cyclophosphamide synthesis and manufacturing, the variant frequency of 6-thioguanine-resistant lymphocytes was found to be higher than the maximum individual frequency found in the control population. The mean variant frequency in the cyclophosphamide-exposed population was 13.64 +/- 13.56 X 10(-5), a statistically significant increase as compared to the mean control frequency. There was no correlation between variant frequency and duration of employment suggesting that this test reflects the actual exposure and not a cumulative effect.

Molecular characterization of hprt mutants induced by low- and high-LET radiations in human cells

Southern blotting techniques were employed to examine the spectrum of molecular alterations in DNA induced by internally emitting iodine isotopes and X-rays at and around the hprt locus in a human lymphoblastoid cell line. We analyzed 165 mutant clones using a cDNA probe for the human hprt locus, and 3 anonymous sequence probes for regions of the X chromosome which are linked to hprt. The results were compared with those for 35 spontaneously arising mutant clones. The majority of ionizing radiation-induced mutants showed changes in the normal restriction patterns at the hprt locus, whereas very few alterations were seen at linked markers along the X chromosome. Total hprt coding sequence deletions comprised 30-48% of the changes observed at this locus, while partial deletions and rearrangements comprised 14-54% of the observed changes. In the case of mutants induced by [125I]dUrd, a densely ionizing radiation, the spectrum of alterations was dose-dependent; at low doses it was not significantly different from that seen after sparsely ionizing X-ray exposure, whereas a higher proportion of gene deletions and rearrangements occurred after high doses of this incorporated isotope. Changes were rarely observed in the 3 linked markers examined. Overall, these results indicate that the distribution of mutational events at the hprt locus in irradiated human cells may not only be LET-dependent but dose-dependent, and that deletions involving large regions of the X chromosome surrounding the hprt locus are rare events.

Mutator phenotype of Werner syndrome is characterized by extensive deletions

Werner syndrome (WS) is a rare autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by the premature appearance of features of normal aging in young adults. The extensive phenotypic overlap between WS and normal aging suggests they may also share pathogenetic mechanisms. We reported previously that somatic cells from WS patients demonstrate a propensity to develop chromosomal aberrations, including translocations, inversions, and deletions, and that WS cell lines demonstrate a high spontaneous mutation rate to 6-thioguanine resistance. We report here the biochemical and molecular characterization of spontaneous mutations at the X chromosome-linked hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) locus in 6-thioguanine-resistant WS and control cells. Blot hybridization analysis of 89 independent spontaneous HPRT mutations in WS and control mutants lacking HPRT activity revealed an unusually high proportion of HPRT deletions in WS as compared with control cells (76% vs. 39%). Approximately half (58%) of the deletions in WS cells consisted of the loss of greater than 20 kilobases of DNA from the HPRT gene. These results suggest that an elevated somatic mutation rate, and particularly deletions, may play pathogenetically important roles in WS and in several associated age-dependent human disease processes.

Locus specificity for mutation induction in human cells exposed to accelerated heavy ions

The relative efficiencies of two types of densely ionizing particles were compared for the induction of mutations at two distinct genetic loci in human cells. Mutations to 6-thioguanine resistance (hgprt locus) or to trifluorothymidine resistance (tk) locus were scored in TK6 human lymphoblastoid cells exposed to graded doses of 40Ar ions (470 MeV/amu, LET = 95-97 keV/microns) or 28Si ions (456 MeV/amu, 61 keV/microns). The autosomal tk locus was more efficiently mutated than the X-linked hgprt locus following heavy particle irradiations. This was predominantly due to the contribution of a class of slowly growing mutants scored at the tk locus. Silicon ions were more efficient per unit dose than argon ions for the induction of mutants at either locus. When the mutant yield for a particular ion was compared with particle fluence, similar numbers of hgprt mutants are induced by equal numbers of 40Ar or 28Si ions. Comparison of the number of tk mutants with particle fluence demonstrates an increased efficiency for 28Si ions over 40Ar. These data suggest that the LET-RBE relationship may be different for individual genetic loci in human cells.

Formaldehyde-induced and spontaneous alterations in human hprt DNA sequence and mRNA expression

Human lymphoblast mutants at the X-linked hprt locus have been examined by Southern blot, Northern blot and DNA sequence analysis. A previous study had shown that approximately a third of the spontaneously-arising mutants and half those induced by formaldehyde showed no alteration in restriction fragment pattern and thus were classified as point mutations. In this report, Northern blot analysis was used to show that these point mutants fall into 4 categories: normal size and amount of RNA, normal size but reduced amounts, reduced size of RNA or no RNA. Sequence analyses of cDNAs prepared from hprt mRNAs were performed on 1 spontaneous and 7 formaldehyde-induced mutants with normal Northern blots. The spontaneous mutant was caused by an AT----GC transition. 6 of the formaldehyde-induced mutants were base substitutions, all of which occurred at AT base-pairs. There was an apparent hot spot, in that 4/6 independent mutants were AT----CG transversions at one specific site. The remaining mutant had lost exon 8.

High frequency of large spontaneous deletions of DNA in tumor-derived CHEF cells

Spontaneous mutations arising at the HPRT locus were examined in 126 mutants recovered from a series of six CHEF-derived cell lines. Altered restriction fragment patterns were characterized by Southern blot hybridization, and gene expression by RNA blot hybridization. Point mutants and gene-expression mutants predominated in the control (nontumorigenic) 18-1D-3 cell line and in two tumor-derived lines, one of which (16-2 Tuk 4) displayed a mutator phenotype. In the other three lines, the majority of mutants had large partial or whole gene deletions. These results suggest that mutant enzymes in DNA replication or repair play an important role in neoplastic progression by causing extensive deletions in DNA, including excision of genes that encode tumor-suppressor functions, and deletion of regulatory sequences in protooncogenes.

Molecular characterization of thymidine kinase mutants of human cells induced by densely ionizing radiation

In order to characterize the nature of mutants induced by densely ionizing radiations at an autosomal locus, we have isolated a series of 99 thymidine kinase (tk) mutants of human TK6 lymphoblastoid cells irradiated with either fast neutrons or accelerated argon ions. Individual mutant clones were examined for alterations in their restriction fragment pattern after hybridization with a human cDNA probe for tk. A restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) allowed identification of the active tk allele. Among the neutron-induced mutants, 34/52 exhibited loss of the previously active allele while 6/52 exhibited intragenic rearrangements. Among the argon-induced mutants 27/46 exhibited allele loss and 10/46 showed rearrangements within the tk locus. The remaining mutants had restriction patterns indistinguishable from the TK6 parent. Each of the mutant clones was further examined for structural alterations within the c-erbA1 locus which has been localized to chromosome 17q11-q22, at some unknown distance from the human tk locus at chromosome 17q21-q22. A substantial proportion (54%) of tk mutants induced by densely ionizing radiation showed loss of the c-erb locus on the homologous chromosome, suggesting that the mutations involve large-scale genetic changes.

A comparison of mutation induction at the tk and hprt loci in human lymphoblastoid cells; quantitative differences are due to an additional class of mutations at the autosomal tk locus

X-Rays, ethyl methanesulfonate and ICR-191 induced 2 classes of trifluorothymidine-resistant mutants at the autosomal tk locus in human lymphoblastoid cells. These classes were differentiated by their growth rates; some mutants grew with a normal doubling time of 14-18 h (tk-NG), while others grew much more slowly, with doubling times of 21-44 h (tk-SG). Only mutants with normal growth rates were observed at the X-linked hprt locus; the frequencies of mutations induced at hprt were equal to those induced for tk-NG mutants. Thus, more mutations overall (by up to a factor of 6) were induced at tk than at hprt. These results are discussed in relation to recent studies in rodent cells, in which much greater mutation frequencies were observed at autosomal loci.

Specific-locus mutations induced in eukaryotes (especially mammalian cells) by radiation and chemicals: a perspective

In the course of discovering the first mutagen (X-rays) just over 60 years ago, Herman J. Muller asked whether X-rays induced single-gene mutations and/or chromosomal (multiple-gene) mutations. To a large extent, his question has set the agenda for mutagenesis research ever since. We explore historically the answers to this question, with special emphasis on recent developments in the field of mammalian cell mutagenesis. Studies indicate that ionizing radiation and many chemical mutagens/carcinogens induce both gene and chromosomal mutations; however, only certain genetic systems permit the recovery and analysis of both classes of mutations. Few chemical mutagens induce only gene mutations in mammalian cells; instead, most mutagens appear to induce both classes of mutations, with chromosomal mutations (especially multilocus deletions) predominating at high doses. These results have implications regarding the mechanisms of mutagenesis, the role of chromosomal mutations in carcinogenesis and hereditary disease, and the type of data required for risk assessment of physical and chemical mutagens/carcinogens.

A method for specific cloning and sequencing of human hprt cDNA for mutation analysis

A method has been developed for the specific amplification and cloning of human hprt cDNA which can be used for mutant sequence analysis. Messenger RNA is isolated from TK6 lymphoblasts and is used to produce a first strand cDNA with reverse transcriptase primed with oligo dT. Second strand synthesis and subsequent amplification of hprt sequences is accomplished using Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase and hprt-specific primers in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure. Convenient restriction enzyme sites have been built into the 5' ends of the PCR primers to allow cloning of the hprt fragments in M13mp19. Dideoxy sequencing of hprt with specific primers can be carried out using either the PCR reaction product or fragments cloned in M13mp19 as substrate. This general cloning/sequencing method can be used to analyze hprt mutation in human cells obtained both in vitro and in vivo.