Mutagenicity of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine at the tk locus in L5178Y strains differing in repair capabilities and karyotype

The cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine (AHA) were measured in strains of L5178Y differing in repair capabilities and karyotype. Strain LY-R83 is monosomic for chromosome 11 and is therefore hemizygous for the tk gene, while strains LY-R16 and LY-S1 are TK+/- heterozygotes. Both strain LY-R83 and LY-R16 are sensitive to UV light and are presumed to be deficient in the excision of pyrimidine dimers as shown for the parental strain, LY-R (Hagen et al., 1988; Szumiel et al., 1988). Strain LY-S1 is sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of ionizing radiation and is presumed to be defective in the repair of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks, as shown for the parental strain, LY-S (Evans et al., 1987a; Wlodek and Hittelman, 1987). The sensitivities of the three strains to the cytotoxic effects of AHA were similar. After a 4-hour treatment with AHA at 37 degrees C, the D37 for all three strains was approximately 35 ng/ml. The AHA-induced mutant frequency was similar for the hemizygous TK+ strain LY-R83 and the heterozygous TK +/- strain LY-R16, but was slightly higher for strain LY-S1 than for either LY-R strain at an AHA concentration of 100 ng/ml. The proportion of AHA-induced LY-S1 TK -/- mutants forming colonies with diameters less than 0.3 mm was much lower than following treatment with X radiation (24% vs. 61% for AHA and X radiation, respectively). These results indicate that the vast majority of AHA-induced TK -/- mutants harbor single gene mutations. AHA did not result in cyanide-insensitive oxygen uptake, and treatment with this compound did not induce a significant number of DNA single-strand breaks, DNA alkali labile lesions, or DNA degradation in either strain. However, two hours after AHA removal, DNA single-strand breaks and/or alkali-labile lesions, possibly due to the occurrence of DNA repair, were apparent in the DNA of both strain LY-R16 and strain LY-S1.     

Stability of tk-/- mutants of L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells in Fischer's medium

The phenotypic stability of over 2000 large- and small-colony trifluorothymidine-resistant (TFTres) variants of L5178Y/tk(+/-)-3.7.2C cells has been examined. All except 4 of 488 spontaneously arising small-colony variants analyzed (0.8%) retained the TFTres phenotype when rechallenged with TFT after growth for several generations in its absence. All of 558 spontaneous large-colony variants, and 440 small-colony or 487 large-colony variants arising from 13 different mutagens showed similar stability. These results attest to the completeness of TFT selection in the mouse-lymphoma assay when used at 1 microgram/ml in Fischer's medium supplemented with heat-inactivated serum and, together with previous cytogenetic and molecular studies, justify considering essentially all such TFTres variants as stable mutants. The implications of these results for those versions of the mouse lymphoma assay that fail to optimize the recovery and scoring of small-colony mutants is discussed.     

The mutagenicity of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine to L5178Y tk +/- 3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells: measurement of mutations to ouabain, 6-thioguanine and trifluorothymidine resistance, and the induction of micronuclei

2-Amino-N6-hydroxyadenine (AHA) was tested in the mouse lymphoma L5178Y tk +/- assay using the microtitre cloning technique over concentrations from 0.005 micrograms/ml-1 (100% viability) to 6 micrograms/ml (10% viability) as measured by cloning efficiency immediately after treatment. At low, non-toxic concentrations (0.005-0.25 micrograms/ml) a dose-related linear increase in the frequency of ouabain-resistant mutants was seen, in addition to an increase in 6-thioguanine- and trifluorothymidine-resistant mutants. No consistent induction of micronucleated cells was observed in this concentration range. Toxic concentrations (20-90% kill) induced a dose-related increase in micronuclei, while the frequency of ouabain-resistant mutants fell (although it was still highly significantly above the control value). These results suggest that the mechanism of action of AHA depends on the concentration, with point mutations being induced at low, non-toxic doses and detectable chromosome breakage occurring only at higher doses. Both large-colony and small-colony trifluorothymidine-resistant mutants were induced at all concentrations. The utility of using multiple genetic end-points in one cell line and the importance of dose range selection for risk assessment and an understanding of the mode of action of test substances is underlined.     

Analysis of trifluorothymidine-resistant (TFTr) mutants of L5178Y/TK+/- mouse lymphoma cells

Three classes of TFTr variants of L5178Y/TK+/- -3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells can be identified--large colony (lambda), small colony (sigma), and tiny colony (tau). The sigma and lambda mutants are detectable in the routine mutagenesis assay using soft agar cloning. The tau mutants are extremely slow growing and are quantitated only in suspension cloning in microwells. Variants of all three classes have been analyzed in the process of evaluating the usefulness of the thymidine kinase locus in L5178Y/TK+/- mouse lymphoma cells for detecting induced mutational damage. 150 of 152 variants from mutagen treated cultures and 163 of 168 spontaneous mutants were TFTr when rechallenged approximately 1 week after isolation (3 weeks after induction). All of the 41 mutants assayed for enzyme activity were TK-deficient. The sigma and tau phenotypes were found to correlate with slow cellular growth rates (doubling time greater than 12 h), rather than from effects of the TFT selection or mutagen toxicity. Cytogenetic analysis of sigma mutants approximately 3 weeks after induction shows an association between the sigma phenotype and readily observable (at the 230-300 band level) chromosomal abnormalities (primarily translocations involving that chromosome 11 carrying the functional TK gene) in 30 of 51 induced mutants studied. Using an early clonal analysis of mutants (approximately 2 weeks after induction) 28 of 30 sigma mutants showed chromosome 11 rearrangements. All lambda mutants studied (17 of 17 evaluated 3 weeks after induction and 8 of 8 evaluated 2 weeks after induction) showed normal karyotypes (at the 230-300 band resolution level), including the chromosome 11s. These observations support the hypothesis that sigma (and likely tau) mutants represent chromosomal mutations and lambda mutants represent less extensive mutations affecting the TK locus. The inclusion of sigma mutants in the total induced mutant frequency, as well as distinguishing them as a separate subpopulation of TK-deficient mutants, is, therefore, essential in obtaining maximum utility of the information provided by the L5178Y/TK+/- mouse lymphoma assay.     

High-resolution cytogenetic characterization of the L5178Y TK+/- mouse lymphoma cell line

High-resolution chromosome preparations from L5178Y TK+/- 3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells were obtained using acridine orange in the cell harvest procedure. With this technique it is possible to visualize over 500 bands in elongated mouse lymphoma cell chromosomes as compared to the approximately 230 bands visualized in metaphase preparations. High-resolution lymphoma cell chromosomes are described, and chromosome rearrangements carried in the cell line are characterized by ideograms representing the position, number, size, and relative staining intensity of the G-band patterns. Use of elongated chromosomes of mouse lymphoma TK+/- mutants should facilitate analysis of the cytogenetic effects associated with TK+/- ----TK-/- mutagenesis.     

In situ analysis of trifluorothymidine-resistant (TFTr) mutants of L5178Y/TK+/- mouse lymphoma cells

TFTr mutants of L5178Y/TK+/- mouse lymphoma cells are analyzed as they appear in situ following cloning and incubation for 9-11 days in soft agar cloning medium. These TFTr mutants can be divided by colony size into sigma, small colony, and lambda, large colony, mutants. The use of a size discriminator on an automatic colony counter allows the production of histograms to evaluate the size distribution of colonies on a plate. The evaluation of these size distribution curves provides insight into the properties of sigma and lambda mutants. From these analyses several conclusions may be drawn. The sigma phenotype is preferentially associated with the TFTr subpopulation of a treated culture. The sigma phenotype is not an artifact of delayed toxicity following treatment. The frequency of quantifiable sigma mutants is not affected by agar concentrations between 0.20% and 0.45% in the cloning medium. TFTr sigma mutants are produced spontaneously and can be induced by a variety of mutagens. The decline in overall detectable mutants frequency observed for some mutagens with increasing time after treatment is due to the decline in sigma mutant frequency. The quantitation of both sigma and lambda mutants is thus useful in obtaining maximum utility of the information provided by the L5178Y/TK+/- mouse lymphoma assay.     

Mutagenicity and clastogenicity of teniposide (VM-26) in L5178Y/TK +/- -3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells

The antitumor drug teniposide (VM-26) is a potent inducer of DNA breaks (Long et al., Cancer Res., (1985) 45, 3106), but it is only weakly mutagenic at the hprt locus in CHO cells (Singh and Gupta, Cancer Res., (1983) 43, 577). In the present study, the mutagenic and clastogenic activities of teniposide were evaluated in L5178Y/TK +/- -3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells. Although teniposide is a weak mutagen at the hprt locus, it is a potent mutagen at the tk locus, with as little as 0.5 ng/ml producing 220 TK mutants/10(6) survivors at 96% survival (background = 100/10(6) survivors). This same dose of teniposide induced 38 aberrations per 100 metaphases (background = 7/100 cells). At 7 ng/ml, teniposide induced approximately 2700 TK mutants/10(6) survivors at approximately 10% survival. At the highest dose sampled for aberration analysis (5 ng/ml), teniposide induced 44 aberrations/100 cells. Most of the aberrations were chromosomal rather than chromatid events. As expected for a compound acting primarily by a clastogenic mechanism, most of the TK mutants were small colonies. Thus, teniposide is a potent clastogen, and it is a potent mutagen at the tk locus but not at the hprt locus. These results support the hypothesis that the location of the target gene affects the ability of the assay to detect both intragenic events and events causing functional multilocus effects. Thus, a heterozygous locus (like tk) but not a functionally hemizygous locus (like hprt) may permit the detection of mutagens that act primarily by a clastogenic mechanism. Because teniposide induces topoisomerase II-associated DNA breaks, and because there is evidence that teniposide may not interact directly with DNA, we discuss the possibility that the potent clastogenic/mutagenic activity of teniposide may be mediated by topoisomerase II.     

Mutagenicity of rat-liver S9 to L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells

Rat-liver S9 preparations became highly mutagenic to cultured L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells when the exposure period was increased to 18-24 h or when S9 mix was preincubated in Fischer's medium at 37 degrees C for 19 h and then used to treat the cells for 4 h. Five different S9 preparations (from untreated and Aroclor 1254-treated Fischer 344 or Sprague-Dawley male rats) behaved similarly. S9 mix, which contained 1 mM NADP and 5 mM isocitrate as cofactors, was more mutagenic than S9 alone. Heat treatment of S9 did not destroy its mutagenic activity, but the addition of cofactors no longer stimulated an increase in mutagenicity, as observed with native S9. Treatment with cofactors was not mutagenic. These results implied the involvement of both energy-independent and NADPH-dependent enzymatic changes in S9 mix in producing mutagenic substances. The mutagenic treatments with S9 or S9 mix induced predominantly small TFT-resistant mutant colonies, which suggested that these treatments should be clastogenic to cultured mammalian cells. A warning was given that test chemicals evaluated as mutagenic only in the presence of S9 mix may instead be accelerating the decomposition of S9 mix into mutagens, and it may become necessary to experimentally distinguish between these two mechanisms before a chemical can be regarded as mutagenic.     

Use of DNA purified in situ from cells embedded in agarose plugs for the molecular analysis of tk-/- mutants recovered in the L5178Y tk+/- 3.7.2C mutagen assay system

We have reported that tk-/- mutants recovered in the mouse L5178Y tk+/- 3.7.2C mutagen assay have often lost the tk+ allele. Allele loss in the tk-/- mutants is documented on Southern blots as the absence of a 6.3-kb Nco I fragment seen in both tk+/+ and tk+/- cell DNAs. For the routine screening of large- and small-colony tk-/- mutants DNAs for the absence of this genomic fragment, we have found that cells can be lysed in agarose plugs, and DNA of cells embedded in plugs can be purified, restricted with Nco I, electrophoresed, and analyzed on Southern blots without significant band distortion or diffusional loss of tk- specific fragments in the 2-7-kb range. Purification and restriction analysis of DNA in agarose plugs, originally developed to allow pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of very large DNA fragments, represents a convenient alternative to conventional DNA purification methods, allowing quantitative recovery of DNA from small numbers of cells, eliminating centrifugation, phenol extraction, and ethanol precipitation steps, and requiring smaller quantities of reagents.     

Tests for genotoxicity and mutagenicity of furan and its metabolite cis-2-butene-1,4-dial in L5178Y tk+/- mouse lymphoma cells

Furan is found in various food items and is cytotoxic and carcinogenic in the liver of rats and mice. Metabolism of furan includes the formation of an unsaturated dialdehyde, cis-2-butene-1,4-dial (BDA). In view of the multifunctional electrophilic reactivity of BDA, adduct formation with protein and DNA may explain some of the toxic effects. Short-term tests for genotoxicity of furan in mammalian cells are inconclusive, little is known for BDA. We investigated BDA generated by hydrolysis of 2,5-diacetoxy-2,5-dihydrofuran for genotoxicity in L5178Y tk+/- mouse lymphoma cells using standard procedures for the comet assay, the micronucleus test, and the mouse lymphoma thymidine kinase gene mutation assay, using 4-h incubation periods. Cytotoxicity was remarkable: cell viability at concentrations>or=50 microM was reduced to <50%. In the dose range up to 25 microM, viability was >90%. Measures of comet-tail length and thymidine-kinase mutant frequency were increased 1.6- and 2.4-fold above control, respectively. Analysis of three fully independent replicates with a linear mixed-effects model showed a highly significant increase with concentration for both endpoints. Compared to methyl methanesulfonate used as a positive control, BDA was of similar potency with respect to genotoxicity, but it was much more cytotoxic. Furan added to cell cultures at doses that resulted in time-averaged effective concentrations of up to 3100 microM was neither cytotoxic nor genotoxic. A potential cross-linking activity of BDA was investigated by checking whether gamma radiation-induced DNA migration in the comet assay could be reduced by pre-treatment with BDA. In contrast to the effect of the positive control glutaraldehyde, BDA treatment did not reduce the comet tail length. On the contrary, an increase was observed at >or=100 microM BDA, which was attributable to early apoptotic cells. Although BDA was found to be a relatively potent genotoxic agent in terms of the concentration necessary to double the background measures, cytotoxicity strongly limited the concentration range that produced interpretable results. This may explain some of the inconclusive results and indicates that non-genotoxic effects must be taken into account in the discussion of the modes of toxic and carcinogenic action of furan.     

Mutagenicity and clastogenicity of adriamycin in L5178Y/TK(+/-)-3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells

Adriamycin was found to be both mutagenic and clastogenic to L5178Y/TK(+/-)-3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells. A dose of only 5 ng/ml (survival = 62% or 67%) gave an induced TK mutant frequency of 307 or 296 per 10(6) survivors in two separate experiments. This dose was also clastogenic, inducing 20 chromosome aberrations/100 cells analyzed. The majority of the mutants were small-colony mutants, indicating that adriamycin likely acts primarily by a clastogenic mechanism.     

Mutagenicity and clastogenicity of proflavin in L5178Y/TK +/- -3.7.2.C cells

We evaluated the ability of proflavin to induce specific-locus mutations at the heterozygous thymidine kinase (tk) locus of L5178Y/TK +/- -3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells, which appears to permit the recovery of mutants due to single-gene and chromosomal mutations. Proflavin was highly mutagenic at the tk locus, producing 724-965 TK mutants/10(6) survivors (background = 56-85/10(6); survival = 29-32%). Most of the mutants were small colonies, which suggested that proflavin may induce chromosomal mutations. The potent clastogenicity of proflavin was confirmed by cytogenetic analysis for chromosomal aberrations. At the highest dose analyzed (1.5 micrograms/ml), proflavin produced 82 aberrations/100 metaphaes (background = 2/100). The large-colony TK mutant frequency produced by proflavin (48-109/10(6) survivors; background = 23/10(6); survival = 57-61%) was similar to published HPRT mutant frequencies produces by proflavin in L5178Y and CHO cells (50-100/10(6) survivors; background = 2-50/10(6); survival = 50-62%). These results lead to the conclusion that proflavin is a potent clastogen and induces a high frequency of small-colony TK mutants; however, it induces a low frequency of HPRT mutants and a low frequency of large-colony TK mutants.     

Studies on three mutagen-sensitive mutants of mouse L5178Y cells. I. Characterization of the hybrids between L5178Y and mutagen-sensitive mutants

Three mutagen-sensitive mutants, MS-1, M10 and Q31, have been isolated from mouse L5178Y cells. MS-1 cells are sensitive to methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), M10 cells are cross-sensitive to X-rays, MMS and 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO), and Q31 cells are cross-sensitive to UV and 4NQO. Lines resistant to 6-thioguanine (TGr) and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BUr) were isolated from L5178Y and these three mutagen -sensitive mutants. All the TGr lines were sensitive to 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine and HAT medium and all the BUr lines were sensitive to 6-thioguanine and HAT medium. The hybrids homozygous for the mutagen-sensitive markers showed nearly the same sensitivity to UV, 4NQO, X-rays and MMS as their parental TGr and BUr lines. The hybrids constructed by fusing L5178Y BUr and TGr lines from each of MS-1, M10 and Q31 displayed the normal UV, X-ray and MMS resistancy of L5178Y cells. Thus the UV-, X-ray- and MMS-sensitive markers in MS-1, M10 and Q31 were recessive in somatic cell hybrids. The 4NQO-sensitive phenotype, however, behaved codominantly in somatic cell hybrids.     

High-resolution cytogenetic analysis of L5178Y TK+/- 3.7.2C cells: variation in chromosome 11 breakpoints among small-colony TK-/- mutants

Since the finding that the mouse lymphoma L5178Y TK+/- ----TK-/- forward mutational assay system can detect and distinguish a range of genetic lesions, including large chromosomal aberrations and smaller, perhaps point mutational events, the chromosomal analysis of these lesions at the highest possible level of band resolution has become increasingly important. We have developed an acridine orange/colcemid/hypotonic treatment for TK-/- mutants to provide high-resolution chromosomes with over 500 G-bands for breakpoint analysis. Using such high-resolution procedures, we find that independently induced small-colony mutants show rearrangements in the distal portion of chromosome 11, with breakpoints occurring between bands B3 and E1.2. This finding of a range of chromosomal breakpoints in different TK-/- mutants complements recent molecular genetic analysis of mutants and is consistent with the hypothesis that chromosomal lesions in small-colony mutants may affect a large portion of the genome in the vicinity of the tk-1 gene.     

Cytogenetic characterization of the L5178Y TK+/-3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cell line

The cytogenetic characterization of the L5178Y TK+/-3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cell line was carried out, utilizing G-banded metaphase chromosomes, to provide a karyotypic basis for the precise delineation of induced rearrangements in TK-/- mutants. Band-pattern measurements were used to construct ideograms which represent the position, number, size and staining intensity of the chromosome bands. The TK+/-3.7.2C cell line has been shown to provide quantitation of forward mutations induced at the autosomal thymidine kinase (TK) locus in this cell line. Chromosome analysis of the TK+/-3.7.2C cell line and derived TK-/- mutants has become important in demonstrating that the TK+/-----TK-/- assay may detect and distinguish between chromosomal events and smaller, perhaps point-mutation, events in mutant colonies.     

Effect of pH shifts on the mutant frequency at the thymidine kinase locus in mouse lymphoma L5178Y TK+/- cells

Evidence has been accumulating that conditions of nonphysiological pH may affect the results of in vitro genetic tests by mechanisms unrelated to the chemical being tested. Medium was pH-adjusted with HCl, NaOH or with organic buffers (Good's zwitterions). In the absence of S9 mix, no changes in mutant frequency were observed over a pH range of 6.4-9.2; a small, 1.9-fold increase was observed for a moderately toxic treatment (24% relative growth) at pH 6.3. However, in the presence of S9 mix, the mutant frequency increased sharply for pH values below 6.8. At pH 6.4, a 4-fold increase was induced, and pH 6.0 resulted in a 10-fold increase in mutant frequency. Basic pH shifts in the presence of S9 mix caused no changes in mutant frequency up to pH 8.0; treatment with pH 8.8 was highly toxic (5.3% relative growth) and caused a 3-fold increase in mutant frequency. Thirteen mutant clones induced at pH 6.0 with S9 mix were challenged with trifluorothymidine after their expansion in nonselective medium and all retained their resistance; another 14 clones were tested for thymidine utilization and all incorporated only 0.1-5.5% of the 14C-labeled thymidine used by the parental line. The induced mutants were primarily of the small-colony phenotype, which indicated clastogenic activity. This was confirmed with chromosome studies which showed a large increase in cells with aberrations consisting of chromatid breaks and complex rearrangements. The results show that the combination of weak acidity (pH 6-6.8) and S9 mix is mutagenic and clastogenic to L5178Y TK+/- cells.     

Preliminary molecular analysis of the TK locus in L5178Y large- and small-colony mouse lymphoma cell mutants

Mouse lymphoma cells of the L5178Y TK+/- -3.7.2C line were exposed to sidestream and mainstream cigarette smoke condensates (CSC). Cells which survived the trifluorothymidine (TFT) challenge fell in 2 classes: large- and small-colony formers. Southern blot analysis of NcoI-digested DNA from mutant colonies yielded 2 distinct restriction fragment banding patterns when probed with the thymidine kinase (TK) cDNA clone pMtk4. One such pattern was composed of 4 bands at 6.4, 5.5, 4.7 and 2.9 kilobase pairs (kb) and was identical to that of TK+/- controls. A second pattern differed from the first only in the absence of the 6.4-kb band. The majority (83/95) of both large and small colonies derived from cells exposed to CSC exhibited restriction fragment banding patterns lacking the 6.4-kb band. The data from the present study suggest that there is no association between mutant colony size and the presence of the 6.4-kb NcoI restriction fragment at the TK locus in the mouse lymphoma mutants analyzed.     

Isolation and characterization of mutants at the APRT locus in the L-5178Y TK+/TK- mouse lymphoma cell line

2,6-Diaminopurine(DAP)-resistant mutants have been isolated from mouse lymphoma 5178Y TK+/TK- heterozygotes. In the presence of 50 microM DAP, two colony types were isolated. Small colonies contained 50% wild-type adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (APRT) activity (partial mutants), whereas large colonies have undetectable levels of APRT (aprt- mutants). aprt- mutants could be isolated following mutagenesis with ICR-191 or EMS from the partial mutants. Southern blot analysis of EcoRI digested wild-type DNA using a 3.1 kb mouse aprt genomic probe indicated sequence polymorphism at one or both EcoRI sites flanking the allele. Southern blot analysis of one of the partial mutants and one ICR-induced aprt- mutant (single step) indicated that both strains were hemizygous at the APRT locus. Such stable hemizygous strains would be useful in short-term mutagen tests.     

Do trifluorothymidine-resistant mutants of L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells re-express thymidine kinase activity following 5-azacytidine treatment?

TFT is an effective selective agent for TK-deficient mutants of L5178Y TK+/- -3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells. Mutants can be classified by colony size into small colonies (many of which show readily observable chromosome abnormalities associated with chromosome 11--the location of the TK gene) and large colonies (which may represent events affecting only the expression of the TK gene). The precise nature of the induced damage causing the loss of the TK-enzyme activity for both mutant type is not known and is currently under investigation. The hypomethylating agent 5-azacytidine can be utilized to investigate the possibility that mutants might be the result of a suppressed rather than an altered TK gene. Mutant cell lines are treated with 5-azacytidine and then evaluated for re-expression of the TK enzyme as measured by resistance to THMG. In these studies, 11 mutants have been evaluated. None of the 11, including 10 small-colony mutants (6 with chromosome 11 translocations) and 1 large-colony mutant, show a high conversion to TK competency following 5-azacytidine treatment.