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

Crosstalk between telomere maintenance and radiation effects: A key player in the process of radiation-induced carcinogenesis

It is well established that ionizing radiation induces chromosomal damage, both following direct radiation exposure and via non-targeted (bystander) effects, activating DNA damage repair pathways, of which the proteins are closely linked to telomeric proteins and telomere maintenance. Long-term propagation of this radiation-induced chromosomal damage during cell proliferation results in chromosomal instability. Many studies have shown the link between radiation exposure and radiation-induced changes in oxidative stress and DNA damage repair in both targeted and non-targeted cells. However, the effect of these factors on telomeres, long established as guardians of the genome, still remains to be clarified. In this review, we will focus on what is known about how telomeres are affected by exposure to low- and high-LET ionizing radiation and during proliferation, and will discuss how telomeres may be a key player in the process of radiation-induced carcinogenesis.

hprt mutant frequencies, nonpulmonary malignancies, and domestic radon exposure: "postmortem" analysis of an interesting hypothesis

The hypothesis that exposure to domestic radon raises the risk for leukemia and other nonpulmonary cancers has been proposed and tested in a number of epidemiologic studies over the past decade. During this period, interest in this hypothesis was heightened by evidence of increased frequencies of mutations at the hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (hprt) gene in persons exposed to domestic radon (Bridges BA et al. [1991]: Lancet 337:1187-1189). An extension of this study (Cole J et al. [lsqb[1996]: Radiat Res 145:61-69) and two independent studies (Albering HJ et al. [1992[: Lancet 340:739; Albering HJ et al. [1994[: Lancet 344:750-751) found that hprt mutant frequency was not correlated with domestic radon exposure, and two well-designed epidemiologic studies showed no evidence of a relation between radon exposure and leukemia in children or adults. In this report, we present additional data from a study of Colorado high school students showing no correlation between domestic radon exposure and hprt mutant frequency. We use reanalyses of previous studies of radon and hprt mutant frequency to identify problems with this assay as a biomarker for domestic radon exposure and to illustrate difficulties in interpreting the statistical data. We also show with analyses of combined data sets that there is no support for the hypothesis that domestic radon exposure elevates hprt mutant frequency. Taken together, the scientific evidence provides a useful example of the problems associated with analyzing and interpreting data that link environmental exposures, biomarkers, and diseases in epidemiologic studies.

Measuring the spectrum of mutation induced by nitrogen ions and protons in the human-hamster hybrid cell line A(L)C

Astronauts can be exposed to charged particles, including protons, alpha particles and heavier ions, during space flights. Therefore, studying the biological effectiveness of these sparsely and densely ionizing radiations is important to understanding the potential health effects for astronauts. We evaluated the mutagenic effectiveness of sparsely ionizing 55 MeV protons and densely ionizing 32 MeV/nucleon nitrogen ions using cells of two human-hamster cell lines, A(L) and A(L)C. We have previously characterized a spectrum of mutations, including megabase deletions, in human chromosome 11, the sole human chromosome in the human-hamster hybrid cell lines A(L)C and A(L). CD59(-) mutants have lost expression of a human cell surface antigen encoded by the CD59 gene located at 11p13. Deletion of genes located on the tip of the short arm of 11 (11p15.5) is lethal to the A(L) hybrid, so that CD59 mutants that lose the entire chromosome 11 die and escape detection. In contrast, deletion of the 11p15.5 region is not lethal in the hybrid A(L)C, allowing for the detection of chromosome loss or other chromosomal mutations involving 11p15.5. The 55 MeV protons and 32 MeV/nucleon nitrogen ions were each about 10 times more mutagenic per unit dose at the CD59 locus in A(L)C cells than in A(L) cells. In the case of nitrogen ions, the mutations observed in A(L)C cells were predominantly due to chromosome loss events or 11p deletions, often containing a breakpoint in the pericentromeric region. The increase in the CD59(-) mutant fraction for A(L)C cells exposed to protons was associated with either translocation of portions of 11q onto a hamster chromosome, or discontinuous or "skipping" mutations. We demonstrate here that A(L)C cells are a powerful tool that will aid in the understanding of the mutagenic effects of different types of ionizing radiation.

Generation of mutant mice with large chromosomal deletion by use of irradiated ES cells--analysis of large deletion around hprt locus of ES cell

A method of generating mice from embryonic stem (ES) cells with a large chromosomal deletion produced by X-ray irradiation has been developed. Fifty-two mutant ES clones were made that carried a nested set of chromosomal deletions up to approximately 10 cM in length around the hprt locus on the X Chromosome (Chr). Germline chimeras were generated from three ES clones with deletions ranging from 200 to 700 kb. In germline male mice from two independent clones, deletions around the hprt locus yielded a runty phenotype or caused death at birth. The runty mice had approximately 1/3 the body weight and size of wild littermates and did not survive more than 3 weeks after birth. The most plausible cause of these phenotypes is defects in regions flanking the hprt locus. This method of creating mutant mice with a large chromosomal deletion is very useful for the identification and understanding of gene functions.

Molecular spectrum of mutations induced by 5-hydroxymethyl-2'-deoxyuridine in (CHO)-PL61 cells

We have utilized (CHO)-PL61 cells to characterize the mutations produced in mammalian cells by exogenous treatment with the nucleoside 5-hydroxymethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (hmdUrd). HmdUrd is incorporated into DNA as a thymidine analogue and is removed by the repair enzyme hmUra-DNA glycosylase. PL61 cells are hprt(-) and contain adjacent single copies of the Escherichia coli gpt and neo genes (gpt+, neo+) separated by 2 kb, rendering the cells thioguanine sensitive (TGs) and geneticin resistant (G418r). Cells were exposed to hmdUrd and the colonies resistant to thioguanine or thioguanine and G418 were selected. Selection in thioguanine alone (TGr/gpt(-)) allows the growth of all gpt(-) mutants (small, intermediate and large deletions/insertions and point mutations) while selection in thioguanine and G418 (TGr/gpt(-), G418r/neo+) prevents survival of colonies containing vary large deletions of the gpt gene that include the neo gene. To confirm the types of mutation at the molecular level, the gpt gene was amplified from mutants' genomic DNA by PCR, and the amplified DNA was sequenced directly by the dideoxy method. Our study showed that 4 microM hmdUrd induced mutations to TGr/gpt(-) at a rate 3-4 times that of control, but showed no marked increase in mutation to TGr/gpt(-), G418r/neo+. The predominant type of hmdUrd induced mutation in the thioguanine resistant cells at the gpt locus was complete loss of the gpt gene resulting from a large deletion. Background mutations were generally point mutations or small insertion/deletion mutations. We propose that hmdUrd induces large/intermediate deletions as a major type of mutations in mammalian cells as a consequence of DNA repair, and not as a result of misincorporation or mispairing, suggesting that base excision repair by itself can lead to large deletion mutagenesis.

Mutagenic effects of tumorigenic neutron radiation

A fraction of thymic lymphomas induced by high LET neutron radiation contains activating mutations (single-base substitutions) in the ras genes. To determine whether such mutations are the result of the interaction of high LET radiation with cellular DNA, we have utilized an in vitro model system to screen and isolate neutron-radiation-induced mutants. With that aim, we irradiated the PL61 hamster cell line with 0.4 MeV neutrons. This cell line contains linked copies of the gpt and neo(r) genes, which permits selection for large or small alterations, depending on the selection imposed. Mutants selected for large alterations represented 98.2% of the total. When selection for small mutations was imposed, 9 clones grew. The molecular and biochemical analysis of these clones revealed that 5 of them had identifiable mutations in the gpt gene, consisting of small insertions and deletions, but no single-base substitutions were detected. This represents the first sequence characterization of neutron-induced mutants. The results obtained are consistent with the notion that the ras point mutations identified in the neutron-induced tumors are most likely detected due to the strong selective advantage that they confer to the host cell, but they probably arose during tumour evolution, since they represent a negligible proportion of the total number of alterations induced by neutron radiation.

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.

Impact of age and environment on somatic mutation at the hprt gene of T lymphocytes in humans

Analysis of two human populations for dependence of somatic mutation on age has revealed both similarities and differences. The studies performed employed peripheral blood lymphocytes and measured the efficiency with which these cells form clones in vitro (cloning efficiency, CE) and the frequency of cells with inactivating mutations of the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase gene (mutant frequency, MF). The people studied were between 19 and 64 years of age. In one population, composed of 78 never smokers and 140 current smokers from the United States (US), both CE and MF were dependent on age: CE declined with age (p = 0.005); MF increased 0.15 per 10(6) cells per year of age for nonsmokers (p < 0.001) and at 1.3 times that rate for smokers (p = 0.01). In the second population, 80 people of unknown smoking status from Russia, the increase in MF per year was even greater, 2.5 times that of the US nonsmokers (p = 0.001) but the dependence of CE on age was the same as for the US population (p = 0.043). Because the increase of MF of the Russians with age is 2-fold greater than that of the US smokers, the intensity of smoking and/or other environmental exposures, or the susceptibility to these exposures, must account for the difference in age dependent MF increase, not the proportion of Russians that are smokers. Differences in the lymphocyte subpopulations that survived the longer transit from Russia may have contributed to the observed differences in MF. However, overall, the mutant frequency results suggest that the Russians were chronically exposed to higher levels of agents that induce somatic mutation and that, on an age adjusted basis, the Russia population studied is at increased risk for health consequences from accumulated genetic damage.

Molecular structural analysis of 417 HPRT mutations induced by restriction endonucleases in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells

CHO cells were exposed to 11 different restriction endonucleases by electroporation and their mutagenicity was measured. Nine of them have one or more recognition sites within exons of the HPRT gene, whereas the remaining two cut in introns only. The mutagenic efficiency of the various enzymes varied markedly; mutagenicity of Sau3AI was considerably higher than that of the other enzymes. Neither cytotoxicity nor mutagenicity could be related to the number or location of recognition sites within the cDNA. A total of 417 independent restriction enzyme induced mutant clones were isolated from 20 separate experiments for molecular analysis; all nine exons of the HPRT gene were analyzed by a modified multiplex deletion screening method with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Among spontaneously arising mutants, 70.8% showed no change in PCR pattern, indicating a small scale change (point mutation), whereas partial deletions were observed in 24.7%, and total deletions in 4.5% of mutant clones. In contrast, approximately 70% of restriction enzyme induced mutants showed partial or total deletions. There was no obvious relationship between type of break (blunt versus staggered ends), and the DNA structure of the mutations induced. For partial deletions, the distribution of breakpoints within introns appeared to occur at random, and did not correlate with the mutagenicity of a given enzyme. Thus, though DNA double-strand breaks appear to be important mutagenic lesions that can induce a high frequency of deletion mutants, no specific relationship of mutagenic potential to the type of breaks, their sites within the HPRT gene or the molecular structure of the mutations induced could be identified.

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.

Mutagenic effects of heavy ion radiation in plants

Genetic and developmental effects of heavy ions in maize and rice were investigated. Heavy particles with various charges and energies were accelerated at the BEVALAC. The frequency of occurrence of white-yellow stripes on leaves of plants developed from irradiated maize seeds increased linearly with dose, and high-LET heavy charged particles, e.g., neon, argon, and iron, were 2-12 times as effective as gamma rays in inducing this type of mutation. The effectiveness of high-LET heavy ion in (1) inhibiting rice seedling growth, (2) reducing plant fertility, (3) inducing chromosome aberration and micronuclei in root tip cells and pollen mother cells of the first generation plants developed from exposed seeds, and (4) inducing mutation in the second generation, were greater than that of low-LET gamma rays. All effects observed were dose-dependent; however, there appeared to be an optimal range of doses for inducing certain types of mutation, for example, for argon ions (400 MeV/u) at 90-100 Gy, several valuable mutant lines with favorable characters, such as semidwarf, early maturity and high yield ability, were obtained. Experimental results suggest that the potential application of heavy ions in crop improvement is promising. RFLP analysis of two semidwarf mutants induced by argon particles revealed that large DNA alterations might be involved in these mutants.

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.

Biological and biophysical techniques to assess radiation exposure: a perspective

Biological dosimeters measure biologically relevant effects of radiation exposure that are in some sense an estimate of effective dose, whereas biophysical indicators serve as surrogates of absorbed dose in a manner analogous to conventional thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). The biological and biophysical dosimeters have the potential to play an important role in assessing unanticipated or occupational radiation exposures. For example, where the exposure is large and uncertain (i.e. radiation accidents), accurate dose information can help in deciding the most appropriate therapy and medical treatment. Another useful area is that of lifetime accumulated dose determination, and the ability to distinguish between and integrate the exposures from natural and anthropogenic (medical X-rays, indoor radon, natural background radiation, occupational and non-occupational exposures). Also, the possibility to monitor individual response and differences in inherent or induced radiation sensitivity may have important implications for radiation protection. More commonly, this type of dosimetry could be used for routine monitoring to detect and quantify unsuspected exposure, for regulatory purposes or for epidemiological studies of the long-term effects of radiation exposure (e.g. in Japanese A-bomb survivors or in the population surrounding Chernobyl). This review is a comparative study of the existing techniques and their future prospects. It summarizes the sensitivity, reproducibility, limiting dose, dose-rate, energy, LET response, sources of variability and uncertainty, and other practical aspects of each bio-indicator. The strengths and weaknesses of each approach are evaluated on the basis of common criteria for particular applications, and are summarized for each assay both in the text and in tabular form, for convenience. It is clear that no single indicator qualifies to reliably measure occupational exposures at the current levels of sensitivity conventional dosimetry services provide. Most of the bio-techniques are applicable to the detection of relatively high radiation exposures at relatively short times after exposure. Some of the bio-indicators have been identified that are, or offer future prospects for becoming, appropriate bio-indicators for dosimetry needs. However, all methods are subject to biological and other variables that are presently uncontrolled, and represent a major source of uncertainty. These include variations in background signals not directly associated with radiation exposure, inter- and intra-individual variability of radiation response, and genetic and environmental effects. Although these factors contribute to the lack of confidence in biological dosimetry, promising bio-indicators may be applied to large populations to establish the inherent variability and confounding factors that limit quantitative data collection and analysis, and reduce reliability and reproducibility.

Molecular analysis of rat embryo cell transformants induced by alpha-particles

An immortal cell line was established by transfecting a myc oncogene into rat embryo cells (REC:myc). This cell line was diploid, contact inhibited and grew well in culture. Exposure to a single 200 cGy dose of 6 MeV alpha-particles transformed these cells with a frequency of focus formation of approximately 3.6 x 10(-4) compared with a transformation frequency of < 7.8 x 10(-6) for primary cultures of REC. Isolates of alpha-particle-induced REC:myc (REC:myc:alpha) foci displayed anchorage-independent growth in soft agar and were tumourigenic in nude mice. Molecular studies demonstrated no alteration of gene structure or expression of the transfected or of the endogenous c-myc genes. Similarly, there was no alteration of the structure of Ha-ras, Ki-ras, or N-ras. The expression of Ha-ras, Ki-ras, N-ras and raf was not altered significantly. Assay for dominant oncogenes via DNA-mediated gene transfer into NIH3T3 cells was positive for nine of 13 REC:myc:alpha transformants. All NIH3T3 isolates contained bands hybridizing to rat repetitive DNA. NIH3T3 transformants from a tertiary round of transfection were analysed by Southern blot analysis for the presence of Ki-ras, N-ras, raf, trk, abl, fms, src, mos, fos, sis, fps, erbA, erbB or neu oncogenes of REC origin, and none were detected. Tertiary NIH3T3 transformants from three REC:myc:alpha transformants contained bands corresponding to Ha-ras but no point mutations were identified at the known hotspots of exons 1 or 2 of the donor REC:myc:alpha transformants. The inactivation of the tumour suppressor genes Rb, and p53, and the anti-metastasis gene, nm23, was evaluated by Southern and Northern hybridization analysis. Southern blots demonstrated that at least one allele of Rb, p53 and nm23 was present and no large scale structural changes were detected. No expression of Rb or p53 was detected in REC:myc or the alpha-particle-induced REC:myc transformants. The expression of nm23 was not altered in the transformed cell lines. While the analysis of the role of tumour suppressor gene inactivation in radiation-induced cell transformation is only in the initial stages, the results of DNA-mediated gene transfer into NIH3T3 cells suggest that unidentified dominant oncogenes are associated with alpha-particle-induced transformation in vitro.

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.

Induction of large DNA deletions by persistent nicks: a new hypothesis

DNA deletions of more than one or two base pairs are induced frequently enough so that these form a reasonable fraction of mutations for only a few mutagens. Of these agents, some such as ionizing radiations form DNA double-strand breaks, and very large deletions are thought to result from a DNA end from one break ligating with a second break on the same DNA molecule. However, deletions of kilobase pairs and more are sometimes induced by ionizing radiation at a higher rate than can be accounted for by the numbers of double-strand breaks. Published data on induced deletions in particular Escherichia coli strains suggest a process involving a single lesion that could explain several features of large deletions: frequent occurrence in mammalian cells and scarcity in prokaryotes, nonrandom location which is perhaps associated with locations of origins of replication, and differences in the fraction of deletions among mutations in various genes. Some agents inducing deletions make single-strand nicks, not double-strand breaks, and the proposed mechanism hypothesizes that the inducing lesion is a persistent nick in one DNA strand--for example, a radiation-induced single-strand break with associated damage on the complementary strand that interferes with repair.

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).

Rapid screening for deletion mutations in the hprt gene using the polymerase chain reaction: X-ray and alpha-particle mutant spectra

Conditions were devised for the isolation of DNA from single-mutant colonies on dishes, to give reproducible results in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Primers for 3 exons of the hamster hprt gene were used in a multiplex reaction to show rapidly whether the mutants carried deletions at these sites. 138 independent mutants were screened in total, some spontaneous and others induced by X-rays or by alpha-particles from plutonium-238. Few deletions were found among the spontaneous set, while 'total' gene deletions formed about half the mutants found after irradiation. At equitoxic doses, little difference in mutant spectrum was found for the X-ray set compared to the alpha-particle set. This rapid technique should be applicable to many instances of comparative mutagenesis.

Involvement of RecB-mediated (but not RecF-mediated) repair of DNA double-strand breaks in the γ-radiation production of long deletions in Escherichia coli

Experiments were designed to determine the association between the repair of gamma-radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) and the induction of 700-1000 bp long deletions (Lac(-)----Lac+), base substitutions (leuB19----Leu+), and frameshifts (trpE9777----Trp+) in Escherichia coli K-12. Over the range of 2.5-20 krad, deletions were induced with linear kinetics, as has been shown for the induction of DSB, while the induction kinetics of base substitutions and frameshifts were curvilinear. Like the repair of DSB, deletion induction showed an absolute requirement for an intact recB gene as well as a dependency on the type of preirradiation growth medium; these requirements were not seen for base substitutions or frameshifts. In addition, about 80% of the spontaneous deletions were absent in the recB21 strain. A recC1001 mutation, which confers a 'hyper-Rec' phenotype, increased the rate of gamma-radiation-induced deletions as well as the low-dose production of base substitutions and frameshifts. A recF143 mutation increased the yield of gamma-radiation-induced deletions without increasing base substitutions or frameshifts. A mutS mutation markedly enhanced the gamma-radiation induction of frameshifts, and had a slight effect on base substitutions, but did not affect the induction of deletions. Resistance to gamma-irradiation and the capacity to repair DSB (albeit at about half the normal rate) were restored to the radiosensitive recB21 strain by the addition of the sbcB21 and sbcC201 mutations. However, the radioresistant recB sbcBC strain, which is recombination proficient via the RecF pathway, was still grossly deficient in the ability to produce deletions. A model for deletion induction as a by-product of the recB-dependent (Chi-dependent) repair of gamma-radiation-induced DSB is discussed, as is the inability to detect deletions in cells that use only the recF-dependent (Chi-independent) mechanism to repair DSB.

Molecular characterization of mutations at the hprt locus in V79 Chinese hamster cells induced by bleomycin in the presence of inhibitors of DNA repair

The molecular basis of bleomycin (BLM)-induced mutations in the absence and presence of inhibitors of DNA repair was investigated in V79 cells with Southern hybridization techniques. 43% of the BLM-induced thioguanine-resistant mutants suffer from large alterations of hprt DNA sequences. To understand the role of DNA repair in the process of mutagenesis, the effect of inhibitors of DNA repair on the frequency and types of BLM-induced mutations was tested. The inhibitors used were arabinofuranosyl cytosine (araC), didesoxythymidine (ddThd) and 3-aminobenzamide (3AB), which inhibit different steps of excision repair. Only 3AB caused a comutagenic effect. The increased mutation frequency was mainly due to additionally induced gene deletions. In the presence of 3AB, 70% of the HPRT-deficient mutants revealed partial or total deletions of the hprt coding sequences. Thus, it could be shown that BLM induces a broad range of types of mutation and that inhibited repair of BLM-induced DNA damage leads to specific types of 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)

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.