Experimental databases on inhibition of the bacterial mutagenicity of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide and cigarette smoke

Two antimutagenicity databases were prepared by applying a co-treatment procedure to the Salmonella reversion assay. Ninety compounds belonging to various chemical classes were quantitatively tested for antimutagenicity towards the direct-acting mutagen 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO) in strain TA100 of S. typhimurium and 63 of them were additionally tested for antimutagenicity towards unfractionated mainstream cigarette smoke (CS) in strain TA98, in the presence of S9 mix. Twelve compounds (13.3%) inhibited 4NQO mutagenicity by at least 50%, with a MID₅₀ (dose inhibiting 50% of mutagenicity) varying over a 1226-fold range. Twenty-six compounds (41.3%) inhibited CS mutagenicity, with a MID₅₀ varying over a 520-fold range. Three compounds only, i.e., bilirubin, curcumin and myricetin, were capable of inhibiting the mutagenicities of both 4NQO and CS. However, myricetin and the other flavonoid rutin were at the same time mutagenic by inducing frameshift mutations following metabolic activation. There was a rather rigorous selectivity of antimutagenicity data depending on the chemical class of inhibitors and it was possible to discriminate protective effects within several pairs or series of structurally related compounds. For instance, all eight thiols and aminothiols inhibited 4NQO mutagenicity, which contrasted with the inactivity of the remaining 17 sulfur compounds tested, all of them lacking a free sulfhydryl group. The mutagenicity of CS was consistently inhibited by the majority of phenols (eight out of 10 tested) and by all two isothiocyanates, two dithiocarbamates, three indole derivatives, three tetrapyrrole compounds and three flavonoids tested. Although the results obtained cannot be extrapolated to other mutagens or test systems, they may provide a useful source of information for research in the area of antimutagenesis and for the development of chemopreventive agents.     

Infection with adeno-associated virus type 5 inhibits mutagenicity of herpes simplex virus type 1 or 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide

Infection with adeno-associated virus type 5 (AAV-5) reduced the number of mutants arising in the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase locus of human RD 176 cells after infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1; partially inactivated) or 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO). The mutation frequency was reduced by AAV-5 infection from 11.4 to 1.8 after mutation with HSV-1 and from 3.2 to 2.5 when mutation was induced by 4-NQO. This was analyzed by determination of the number of cells resistant to 8-azaguanine when infected with AAV-5 prior to induction of mutations with HSV-1 or 4-NQO.     

Lactic acid bacteria isolated from dairy products inhibit genotoxic effect of 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide in SOS-chromotest

Antigenotoxic activity against 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO) of lactic acid bacteria isolated from commercial dairy products was studied using SOS-Chromotest. The supernatants from bacteria-genotoxin co-incubations in general exhibited a strong suppression on SOS-induction produced by 4-NQO on the tester organism Escherichia coli PQ37 (sfiA::lacZ). High genotoxicity inhibition (>75%) was found for 31/67 of the examined bacteria and the maximum values of some strains within the species were as follows: Lactobacillus casei, 99.1%; L. plantarum, 93.3%; L. rhamnosus, 93.4%; L. acidophilus, 90.9%; L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, 85.7% and Bifidobacterium bifidum, 89.6%; Strains with low antigenotoxicity (5-60%) were evidenced in both L. acidophilus and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, whereas some inactive strains were found only in L. casei and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. Cell exposure to 100 degrees C for 15 min prevented antigenotoxicity and no effect was evidenced for cell-free spent media. The active strains survived at 0.1 mM 4-NQO exposure and generally presented some relevant functional properties, such as tolerance to bile (0.5%) or acid environment (pH 2.0) and adherence to Caco-2 enterocytes. Antigenotoxicity was always associated with modification of the 4-NQO absorbance profile.     

Metabolism of 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline-1-oxide and its binding to DNA in chick embryos

The metabolic pathway of 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline-1-oxide (4HAQO) and its binding to DNA was studied in 2-day chick embryos administered [G-3H]4HAQO in a shell-less culture. The 4HAQO rapidly metabolized into non-carcinogenic compounds and 1 h after administration only very small amounts of free 4HAQO could be detected in the embryo cells. The amount of DNA-bound 4HAQO in the embryo cells reached a maximum 2 h after administration, then began to decrease. The maximum extent (mu mol/mol P of nucleotide) was 18.2, equivalent to 1 molecule of 4HAQO-purine adducts per 2.8 X 10(4) base pairs of DNA. It was possible to detect removal of 4HAQO-purine adducts from DNA in chick embryo cells in a shell-less culture. A dose-response relationship for the killing effect of 4HAQO on 2-day embryos was observed in the range of 0.24-24 nmol 4HAQO per embryo. The practicality of the present method of administration of 4HAQO for 'flash administration' of compounds to chick embryo and the advantages of the shell-less culture method which provides access for biochemical and developmental studies of chick embryos were also discussed.     

Lanthanide perchlorate complexes of 4-chloroquinoline-1-oxide and 5-chloroisoquinoline-2-oxide

New lanthanide complexes of 4-chloroquinoline-1-oxide (CQNO) and 5-chloroisoquinoline-2-oxide (CIQNO) were synthesized. CQNO gave two sets of complexes, one set soluble in acetone with the formulae [Ln(CQNO)₈](ClO₄)₃, where LnNd to Yb, and [La(CQNO)₁₀](ClO₄)₃, and the other insoluble in acetone with the formulae [Ln(CQNO)₇]- (ClO₄)₃ where LnLa, Nd and Gd only. CIQNO gave complexes of the general composition [Ln-(CIQNO)₈](ClO₄)₃ where Ln La and Nd and [Ln(CIQNO)₇](ClO₄)₃ where LnGd to Yb. The isolated complexes CQNO and CIQNO were characterized by elemental analysis, electrolytic conductance, infrared, proton NMR and electronic spectral data.     

Mechanism of quinolone mutagenicity in bacteria

Gyrase inhibitors of the quinolone type are genotoxic in bacteria. A functioning excision-repair system is needed to show the mutagenic activity in the Ames tester strains. The antibiotics do not interact with DNA directly but induce the gyrase enzyme to cleave the DNA with protein covalently bound at the site-specific double-strand scission. A prominent site of action is shown to be located at a distance of about 80 bp from the hisG428 sequence at which mutations are scored in the responsive strain TA102. Since the interaction of quinolones with the mammalian counterparts of gyrase, topoisomerase II, is lower by orders of magnitude, it is argued that the bacterial screening tests are of little relevance for predicting effects in mammalian cells.     

Mutagenicity of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide in the MutaMouse.

As part of a collaborative study, the Mammalian Mutagenesis Study Group (MMS), a sub-organization of the Environmental Mutagen Society of Japan (JEMS) conducted mutagenicity tests in MutaMouse. Using a positive selection method, we studied the organ-specificity and time dependence of mutation induction by 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO). A single dose of 4NQO was administered intraperitoneally (7.5 or 15 mg/kg) or orally (200 mg/kg) to groups of male mice. On days 7, 14 and 28 after treatment, we isolated the liver, kidney, lung, spleen, bone marrow, testis and stomach in the intraperitoneal administration experiment and the liver, lung, bone marrow, testis and stomach in the oral administration experiment. In addition, we performed the peripheral blood micronucleus test to evaluate clastogenicity. In the mice treated intraperitoneally at 7.5 mg/kg, we found increased mutant frequency (MF) only in the lung, where the MF did not vary with expression time. In the mice treated at 15 mg/kg, we found increased MF in the liver, bone marrow and lung. In orally treated mice, the MF was high in the lung and liver and very high in the bone marrow and stomach while the increase in the testis was negligible. As the expression time was prolonged, the MF tended to increase in the liver, decrease in the bone marrow, and remain stable in the lung, testis and stomach. The incidence of micronucleus induction in peripheral blood cells was significantly increased (p<0.01) in the 4NQO groups when compared with the vehicle control group by intraperitoneal treatment. Thus, these assay systems appeared to be of use in detecting not only genetic mutation but also chromosomal aberration.     

Differentiation between Amber and Ochre Mutants of Yeast by Reversion with 4-Nitroquinoline-1-Oxide

4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (NQO) induces high frequencies of intragenic revertants of amber (UAG) but not ochre (UAA) mutants of yeast. Distinction of the amber and ochre codons was made with well-characterized nonsense mutants of the iso-1-cytochrome c gene (cyc1 mutants) as well as with nonsense mutants having nutritional requirements. Thus the NQO-induced reversion frequencies corroborated the assignments that were based on the pattern of amino acid replacements in intragenic revertants and on the speficity of suppression. It was concluded from these results and from the results of a previous investigation with other cyc1 mutants (Prakash, Stewart and Sherman 1974) that NQO induces transversions of G:C base pairs at many sites and that the specificity is not strongly influenced by neighboring base pairs in at least the strains examined in these studies. NQO was previously shown to induce G:C → A:T transitions at least at one site and this and the previous study established that it does not significantly mutate A:T base pairs at numerous sites. Thus NQO can be used to selectively mutate G:C base pairs and to determine if the pathways of reverse mutations involve G:C base pairs. Suppressors that act on either amber or ochre mutants were induced with NQO, indicating that they can arise by mutations of G:C base pairs.     

Interactions of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide with deoxyribodinucleotides.

The interactions of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (NQO), a potent mutagen and carcinogen, with several self- and non-self-complementary deoxydinucleotides were probed by using absorption spectra of the charge transfer bands and 1H and 13C NMR spectra. Absorption spectra were analyzed by using Benesi-Hildebrand-type equations to yield stoichiometries and equilibrium constants of complex formation. Non-self complementary dimers form weak l:1 complexes [dpTpG:NQO, K(25 degrees C) = 22 M-1] while self-complementary dimers form strong 2:1 complexes [dpCpG)2:NQO, K(25 degrees C) = 2.2 X 10(4) M-2]. A mixture of dpTpG and dpCpA with NQO gives a 2:1 complexes [dpCpG)2:NQO, K(25 degrees C) = 2.2 X 10(4) M-2]. A mixture of dpTpG and dpCpA, K(25 degrees C) = 8.6 X 10(3) M-2]. Analyses of the changes in 13C and 1H NMR chemical shifts with complex formation gave approximate orientations for the intercalation of NQO with self-complementary dimer minihelixes. In the (dpCpG)2:NQO and (dpGpC)2:NQO complexes, the NO2 group of NQO probably lies in the major grove and the NO2, NO containing NQO ring is stacked near the purine imidazole ring. In the (dpTpA)2:NQO and (dpApT)2NQO complexes, the NO2 seems to project into the minor grove and the NQO benzenoid ring is over the purine imidazole ring.     

Length of Deoxyribonucleic Acid of PBSX-like Particles of Bacillus subtilis Induced by 4-Nitroquinoline-1-Oxide

The formation of particles resembling PBSX phages was induced by 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide in a Marburg strain of Bacillus subtilis. All particles were homogeneous in their morphology. Physical and biological analyses revealed that the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) carried by these particles are fragments of host-cell DNA. The contour length of the DNA is 4.25 mum, corresponding to a molecular weight of 8.1 x 10(6) daltons.     

Bioreduction of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide in dysplastic nevus syndrome fibroblasts

Fibroblast strains 3012T and 3072T, derived from normal skin explants of two patients affected with familial dysplastic nevus syndrome (DNS), an hereditary variant of cutaneous malignant melanoma, have been reported to be abnormally sensitive to the cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of the procarcinogen 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO). In this communication we demonstrate that on exposure to a particular concentration of 4NQO, these same two DNS strains sustain an amount of DNA damage which is equal to (3012T) or only approximately 1.3 times greater than (3072T) that displayed by 8 control fibroblast strains established from clinically normal volunteers. Moreover, cell sonicates of 3072T display approximately 1.3-fold enhanced capacity to catalyze the reduction of 4NQO to the proximate carcinogen 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide, whereas sonicates of 3012T cells carry out this reaction at a normal rate. Accordingly, our results argue against the postulate that the 4NQO hypersensitivity exhibited by these DNS strains is merely due to an elevated capacity for bioreduction of the inert parent compound to a DNA-reactive derivative.     

The use of marine bacteria in mutagenicity assays

Mutagenic pollution of environment is a global and important problem. This includes marine environment. Although many mutagenicity assays have been developed, there are specific problems with testing marine water and sediments for mutagenic contamination. One of them is the fact that most of genetically modified strains used in commonly available microbiological mutagenicity assays, like Escherichia coli or Salmonella, survive relatively poorly in marine waters, especially those of higher salinity. Thus, alternative assays have been developed, in which bacteria occurring naturally in marine habitats are employed. These assays, reviewed in this article, appear to be useful in testing not only marine samples but also can be used in other approaches, which involve detection and estimation of the amount of mutagenic compounds.     

Effects of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide on the DNA-protein complex

The effects of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO), a well known carcinogenic compound, on the DNA-protein complex and DNA Folding Proteins were investigated. FM3A cells were treated with 10(-6) M or 10(-5) M 4NQO for 30 min. Treatment with the 10(-6) M concentration was confirmed to cause the sedimentation of the DNA-protein complex to become slower. DNA Folding Proteins were then isolated from 4NQO-treated and untreated control cells and analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. No appreciable differences in the amounts of the major components of DNA Folding Proteins could be found due to 4NQO-treatment, but the 92 K protein was induced in DNA-protein complex by treatment with 4NQO.     

4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide: A good mutagen for Aspergillus nidulans

Conditions for using 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide as a mutagen for Aspergillus nidulans were established. High frequencies of mutations (about 0.5%) and a broad spectrum of mutants were obtained. The stability of NQO in solutions and safety precautions are described.     

Interactions of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide with four deoxyribonucleotides.

The interactions of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (NQO) with the four 5'-deoxyribonucleotides were probed using absorption spectra of the charge transfer bands and 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of nucleotide-NQO mixtures. Spectral data yielded equilibrium constants (K(dpG:NQO) = 16 M-1, K(dpA:NQO) = 12 M-1, K(dpT:NQO) = K(dpC:NQO) = 4 M-1) which suggest the preference of NQO for the guanine residue in a DNA. This is in agreement with the data of Okano, T., et al. [(1969) Gann 60, 295]. From 13C and 1H NMR data on nucleosides, a structure for the dpG:NQO complex is proposed.