Genetic analysis of purple adenine (ad-3) mutants induced by methyl methanesulfonate in Neurospora crassa

Quantitative and qualitative comparison of spontaneous and chemical-induced specific-locus mutation in the ad-3 region of heterokaryon 12 of Neurospora crassa

The data from forward-mutation experiments to obtain specific-locus mutations at two closely linked loci in the adenine-3 (ad-3) region of heterokaryon 12 (H-12) of Neurospora crassa have been tabulated to determine the relative frequencies and mutational spectra of ad-3 mutants occurring spontaneously and those induced by 22 different chemical treatments. Previous studies have demonstrated that specific-locus mutations at these two loci result from 5 major genotypic classes, namely two classes of gene/point mutations (ad-3AR and ad-3BR), and 3 classes of multilocus deletion mutations ([ad-3A]IR, [ad-3B]IR and [ad-3A ad-3B]IR). In addition, prior studies have demonstrated that some chemical mutagens induced ad-3 mutants exclusively, or almost exclusively, by gene/point mutation and other chemical mutagens by gene/point mutation and multilocus deletion mutation. In the latter cases, there was wide variation in the percentages of ad-3 mutants in these 5 major genotypic classes. Two comparative methods of analysis that also were used to compare spontaneous and chemical-induced ad-3 mutational spectra included X2-tests on the numbers of ad-3 mutants resulting in the following two sets of ratios: (1) gene/point mutations and multilocus deletion mutations; and (2) complementing and non-complementing ad-3BR, mutants. Combination of the p-values from X2-tests for these two methods of comparison demonstrated that all 22 chemicals induce a spectrum of ad-3 mutants that is qualitatively different from that occurring spontaneously. In addition, these same two methods of comparison have been used to compare the mutagenic effects of each of the 22 chemical treatments with each other. Combination of the data from these two methods of comparison has demonstrated that 93.1% (215/231) of the pairwise combinations of these 22 chemicals were different from each other. The implication of these experimental data on the induction of specific-locus mutations in somatic cells of Neurospora for genetic risk assessment exercises is discussed.

Ethylene oxide: induction of specific-locus mutations in the ad-3 region of heterokaryon 12 of Neurospora crassa and implications for genetic risk assessment of human exposure in the workplace

Ethylene oxide (ETO) is an important industrial intermediate used extensively in the production of ethylene glycol, as a fumigant, and as a sterilant of choice for various medical devices. The mutagenicity of ETO was studied for the induction of specific-locus mutations in the adenine-3 (ad-3) region of a two-component heterokaryon (H-12) of Neurospora crassa. The objectives of these studies with ETO were to rank its mutagenic potency and to compare its mutational spectrum for induced specific-locus mutations with other chemical mutagens in this lower eukaryotic organism. Specific-locus mutations in the ad-3 region of heterokaryon H12 result from gene/point mutations at the closely linked ad-3A and ad-3B loci, multilocus deletion mutations and multiple-locus mutations. These major genotypic classes are similar to the types of specific-locus mutations that can be detected in higher organisms. Conidial suspensions of H-12 were treated with five different concentrations of ETO (0.1-0.35%) for 3 h at 25 degrees C. Control and ETO-treated conidial suspensions were used to obtain dose-response curves for inactivation as well as the overall induction of ad-3 forward mutations using a non-selective method based on pigment accumulation rather than a requirement for adenine. The results from these experiments are: (1) the slope of the dose-response curve for ETO-induced specific-locus mutations in the ad-3 region is 1.49 +/- 0.07, and (2) the maximum forward-mutation frequency fell between 10 and 100 ad-3 mutations per 10(6) survivors; therefore, ETO is a moderate mutagen. Classical genetic tests were used to characterize the ETO-induced ad-3 mutations from each of two treatments (0.25 and 0.35%). The overall data base demonstrates that ETO-induced ad-3 mutations result from a high percentage (96.9%) of gene/point mutations at the ad-3A and ad-3B loci, as well as from a low percentage (3.1%) of multilocus deletion mutations. The mutagenic activity of ETO is compared with the mutagenic specificity of other chemical mutagens and carcinogens in the ad-3 forward-mutation assay in Neurospora. The utilization of the Neurospora specific-locus data on ETO and those from experiments in the mouse and Drosophila, by others, is discussed for genetic risk assessment of germ-cell effects resulting from human exposure to ETO in the workplace.

Triethylenemelamine: induction of specific-locus mutations in the ad-3 region of heterokaryon 12 of Neurospora crassa

The mutagenicity of the trifunctional alkylating (or cross-linking) agent TEM (triethylenemelamine or 2,4,6-tris(1-aziridinyl)-1,3,5-triazine) in the adenine-3 (ad-3) region was studied with a two-component heterokaryon (H-12) of Neurospora crassa. The objective was to characterize the genetic damage produced by this chemical to determine the spectrum of specific-locus mutations induced in a lower eukaryotic organism and to compare this spectrum with that induced in the mouse. Specific-locus mutations in the ad-3 region of strain H-12 result from gene/point mutations, multiple-locus mutations, and multilocus deletion mutations at the closely linked ad-3A and ad-3B loci. These loci control two sequential biochemical reactions in the purine biosynthetic pathway. A 0.1 M solution of TEM was used to treat conidial suspensions of H-12 for 20, 40, 80, 120, or 170 min to obtain dose-response curves for (1) inactivation of conidia, and (2) the induction of specific-locus mutations in the ad-3 region. These experiments demonstrated that TEM is a strong mutagen (maximum forward-mutation frequency between 100 and 1000 ad-3 mutations per 10(6) survivors) for the induction of specific-locus mutations in the ad-3 region. Both biochemical and classical genetic tests were used to characterize the TEM-induced ad-3 mutations from each of the five treatment groups to distinguish between the different genotypic classes and subclasses. The overall data base from these genetic studies demonstrates that TEM-induced ad-3 mutations result predominantly (95.5% [769/805]) from gene/point mutations at the ad-3A and ad-3B loci, and from a low percentage (4.5% [36/805) of multilocus deletion mutations. In addition, TEM induces an unusually high frequency of multiple-locus mutations with sites of recessive lethal damage closely linked with the ad-3 region. Comparison of the dose-response curves for the major classes and subclasses of TEM-induced ad-3 mutations demonstrates (1) that gene/point mutations and multilocus deletion mutations increase as the 1.4 power of TEM treatment time, and (2) that the two classes of TEM-induced multiple-locus ad-3 mutations consisting of gene/point mutations with separate sites of recessive lethal damage increase at about the 1.96 power of TEM treatment time. When the data from the present specific-locus studies are compared with those in the mouse, we find, insofar as such comparisons are possible, that a similar spectrum of specific-locus mutations has been induced by TEM in each assay system.

Comparison of the spectra of genetic damage in N4-hydroxycytidine-induced ad-3 mutations between nucleotide excision repair-proficient and -deficient heterokaryons of Neurospora crassa

A comparison has been made of the mutagenic effects of N4-hydroxycytidine (HC) in the adenine-3 (ad-3) region of two-component heterokaryons of Neurospora crassa: nucleotide excision repair-proficient (uvs-2+/uvs-2+) heterokaryon 12 (H-12) and nucleotide excision repair-deficient (uvs-2/uvs-2) heterokaryon 59 (H-59). HC was found to produce mutations predominantly, if not exclusively, by AT to GC base-pair transitions in Escherichia coli strain K12 by Janion and Glickman (1980, Mutation Res., 72, 43-47) and Sledziewska-Gojska et al. (1992, Mutagenesis, 7, 41-46). The ad-3 forward-mutation, specific-locus assay system permits the recovery of ad-3A and/or ad-3B mutants resulting from gene/point mutation, multiple-locus mutation, and multilocus deletion mutation. Uvs-2, which is homokaryotic in H-59, results in a recovery of HC-induced ad-3 forward mutations at a frequency in H-59 that is comparable to that found in H-12. Genetic analysis of ad-3 mutants recovered from experiments with HC treatment demonstrates that predominantly gene/point mutations were found in both strains: 99.3% (540/544) in H-12, and 97.4% (531/545) in H-59. Genetic analysis of allelic complementation among the ad-3BR mutations demonstrated that HC induced the highest percentage of complementing mutants ever found with base analogs both in H-12 (99.7% [328/329]) and H-59 (91.2% [290/318]). As a result of these findings, the majority of HC-induced ad-3 mutations are postulated to have resulted from missense mutations. Thus, we conclude that the results in Neurospora are consistent with the observations in E. coli strain K-12, where HC induces predominantly AT to GC base-pair transitions.

Utilization of the specific-locus assay in the ad-3 region of two-component heterokaryons of Neurospora for risk assessment of environmental chemicals

The utilization of the specific-locus assay in the ad-3 region of two-component heterokaryons of Neurospora crassa is compared with that of other eukaryotic assay systems for the evaluation of the mutagenic effects of environmental chemicals. In contrast to other in vitro specific-locus assays, the Neurospora assay can detect mutations not only at the ad-3A and ad-3B loci but also recessive lethal mutations elsewhere in the genome. Mutational damage in this system can be characterized readily by means of classical genetic techniques involving heterokaryon tests to determine genotype, and allelic complementation among ad-3BR mutations. The percentages of ad-3BR mutations showing allelic complementation with polarized or nonpolarized complementation patterns provide a presumptive identification of the genetic alterations at the molecular level in individual mutants. Dikaryon and trikaryon tests (using 3 strains carrying multilocus deletion mutations as tester strains) distinguish ad-3 mutations resulting from gene/point mutation, multilocus deletion mutation, and various types of multiple-locus mutation. The array of ad-3 mutations recovered from forward-mutation experiments can be expressed in terms of Mutational Spectra, which make it possible to make comparisons of mutational types between different doses of the same mutagen, different mutagens, or the effects of the same mutagen on different strains. Another important feature of this specific-locus assay system is that the effects of mutagens can be studied in both DNA excision repair-proficient (H-12) and -deficient (H-59) two-component heterokaryons to evaluate both quantitative and qualitative differences between the spectra of induced ad-3 mutations. The utilization of this assay on large numbers of environmental chemicals has shown that some chemicals produce predominantly, or exclusively, gene/point mutations, whereas other agents produce both gene/point mutations and multilocus deletion mutations in H-12. When the mutagenic effects of the same chemicals were compared in H-12 and H-59, marked differences between forward-mutation frequencies and Mutational Spectra of ad-3 mutations were detected.

Effect of storage and dose on MMS-induced deletions. Complementation analysis of X-chromosomal recessive lethals in the zeste-white and maroon-like regions of Drosophila melanogaster

The effect of storage on MMS-induced recessive lethals in the zeste-white (3A1-3C2) and the maroon-like (18F4-20F) regions was studied by complementation analysis. (1) Without any exception, all 52 mutants (from unstored spermatozoa) mapped in the zeste-white region were restricted to single complementation units. Furthermore, none of an additional 15 lethals, sampled from sperm that had been stored in females for 9-12 days, was associated with a deletion. (2) Of 34 mutations induced by 8.5 X 10(-2) mM MMS in the maroon-like (mal) region, 4 spanned 2 or more complementation units, and thus are considered to be deletions. A high dose of 2.5 mM MMS provided 55 lethals for analysis of which 4 were deletions. There was no evidence for any difference in the frequency of deletions as the MMS concentration was enhanced from 8.5 X 10(-2) mM to 2.5 mM. However, with storage, 47.1% lethals (16 of 34 mutants induced by 2.5 mM MMS) mapped in the mal region were found to involve large structural changes. (3) A high proportion of double mutants in both the zeste-white (z w) and the maroon-like regions was found among the chromosomes analyzed. These double mutants have one lethal positioned within the region studied and the other outside it. Clearly, the proportion of double mutants increased with dose, from 6.3 to 41.7% in z w and from 14.7 to 61.8% in the mal section. Apurinic sites in DNA reacted with MMS are considered as the likely primary lesions responsible for the storage effect on MMS-induced recessive lethals in the mal region. Thus, the ability of MMS to produce delayed deletion lethals seems to correlate with preference for alkylation of base nitrogens. An interesting aspect for further analysis is the apparent infrequency in the zeste-white region of alkylation-induced chromosomal breakage, as observed by various investigators for MMS, EMS and MNNG.

High proportion of multi-locus deletions among hycanthone-induced X-linked recessive lethals in Drosophila melanogaster

328 X-linked recessive lethal mutations induced in late spermatids by hycanthone methanesulfonate were tested for coverage by duplications that comprised, in total, about 24% of the euchromatic X chromosome; 78 lethals appeared to be covered. Crossover localization tests of a random sample of 38 non-covered lethals revealed 4 chromosomes carrying a lethal within a duplicated segment. Lethals localized to a particular region were crossed to reference deficiencies and single-locus mutations, and inter se, to ascertain their genetic extent. The proportion of multi-locus deletions among these 78 covered and 4 non-covered lethals was 3/48, 1/10 and 13/24 for the distal, medial and proximal regions, respectively. A storage period of 9 days did not noticeably influence these proportions. In the sample of 38 non-covered lethals, and among 17 of the covered single-site lethals, 4 cases of strong crossover suppression were detected. Comparison of these results with data obtained with other mutagens suggests that induction of multi-locus deletions, and possibly of other types of chromosome rearrangement, could in part depend on other mechanisms than those acting in the formation of translocations and chromosome loss. For the purpose of mutagen testing, these findings imply that, in Drosophila, results in the regular genetic tests for chromosome breakage events do not always accurately predict the capacity of a mutagen to induce multi-locus deletions. This is of importance since transmissible multi-locus deletions have been considered a significant source of genetic damage in man.

Genetic effects of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and its homologs

Since the discovery of the mutagenic activity of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in 1960, this compound has become one of the most widely used chemical mutagens. The present paper gives a survey on the chemistry, metabolism, and mode of interaction of MNNG with DNA and proteins, and of the genotoxic effects of this agent on microorganisms, plants, and animals, including human cells cultured in vitro. Data on the carcinogenicity and teratogenicity of MNNG as well as on the genotoxic effects of homologs of MNNG are also presented.

The relation between reaction kinetics and mutagenic action of mono-functional alkylating agents in higher eukaryotic systems. I. Recessive lethal mutations and translocations in Drosophila

The relationship in Drosophila males between chemical reaction pattern of mono-functional alkylating agents (AA), described in terms of primary alkylation pattern with DNA and proteins as well as the Swain--Scott s factor, and their biological effectiveness were investigated. The agents chosen for comparative analysis were the nitrosamides ENU and MNU, the methanesulfonic esters iPMS, EMS and MMS, the dialkylsulfate DMS, and the nitrosamines DEN and DMN. Parameters of their biological activity were mortality (LC50) of treated adult males, induction in post-meiotic stages of X-chromosomal recessive lethal mutations and 2--3 translocations after either adult feeding or injection. Induced frequencies of recessive lethals, determined for each AA with a range of concentrations, served as biological dosimeter for interaction with target DNA in the germ line. The results are interpreted as indicating for these AA a causal connection between the pattern of primary alkylation of DNA and the quality of genetic damage observed. 1. The agent with the lowest s value, ENU, and its pendant DEN, failed to produce translocations at mutation frequencies that reached 44% for ENU. The highest chromosome-breaking activity was attributed to AA with high s, MMS and DMS. For MMS, the proportions of translocations (T) to mutations (M) approximately reached a 1 : 1 ratio in stored spermatozoa, at a recessive-lethal frequency of 14%. Ability to break chromosomes, as indicated by the T : M ratios, decreased in the sequence MMS greater than or equal to DMS, MNU greater than DMN greater than EMS greater than iPMS greater than ENU = DEN. 2. Nearly the reversed sequence in relative mutagenci effectivenss was obtained when the (directly acting) AA were arranged on the basis of their CM4/LC50 ratios (CM4, the exposure condition producing 4% recessive lethals after injection): ENU greater than EMS greater than iPMS, MNU greater than MMS = DMS. 3. Among the AA, EMS had a somewhat unique position, in that it was slightly less effective in the translocation test, and also less cytotoxic but more mutagenic in the recessive-lethal test than one would expect from its s value. This is taken as an indication of the influence on biological effectiveness of factors other than the s value, e.g. methylation versus ethylation and the lipid/water partition ratio. An example of the latter was also provided by DMS which, although having the same s as MMS, with its 5-fold higher lipid/water partition ratio, was more toxic than MMS. 4. For those AA that were clearly active in the translocation tests--MMS, DMS, MNU, DMN and EMS--delayed formation of exchanges was observed. Only in 17 out of 555 translocation tests with positive response translocations were already found in progeny from unstored spermatozoa. Consequently, it was concluded that performance of storage experiments in Drosophila is an absolute necessity for the detection of this type of rearrangement by AA. 5...

Lack of mutagenicity of vinyl chloride in two strains of Neurospora crassa

No detectable induction of mutations could be found in two strains of Neurospora crassa after their conidia were treated with vinyl chloride, in ethanol solution and in its gaseous form. The results suggest that although N. crassa seems to lativating systems does not increase mutagenic activity of vinyl chloride in the two strains tested. At the same time these strains were mutated easily by UV and methyl methanesulfonate.