Combined mutagenicity of cobalt(II) salt and heteroaromatic compounds in Salmonella typhimurium

Mutagenic activities of 4-aminopyridine (4AP), 4-aminoquinoline (4AQ), 9-aminoacridine (9AA) and harman (HM) were examined by the Salmonella test system in the presence of cobalt(II) chloride (CoCl2), which itself is non-mutagenic in this system. Mutagenic activity of the mixture of 9AA and CoCl2 was found to be much higher than that of 9AA alone in strains TA1537 and TA2637. A similar enhancing phenomenon was observed in 4AQ-CoCl2 and HM-CoCl2 mixtures but not in that of 4AP-CoCl2. Judging from visible and nuclear magnetic resonance spectral data, this increased mutagenicity may be attributable to the formation of moderate to weak complexes between these chemicals and the Co(II) cation. A survey of the mutagenicity of several Co(II) complexes supported this interpretation.     

Comparative mutagenicity of halogenated pyridines in the Salmonella typhimurium/mammalian microsome test

The Salmonella/microsome assay with strains TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA102 was used to examine the potential mutagenicity and structure-activity of 16 mono- and di-halogenated pyridines. The chemical reactivity of the halopyridines suggests that nucleophilic displacement of halogens can occur with halogens at positions 2, 4 and 6 being displaced in addition-elimination reactions. 2-Chloropyridine gave a positive result with rat-liver metabolic activation, and 2-fluoropyridine gave equivocal results under these conditions. Mutagenic responses were also obtained with 2-chloromethyl pyridine and 3-chloromethyl pyridine, in both the presence and absence of rat-liver S9. These results suggest that the halogenated pyridines, especially with halogens at the 2-position, and singly on a methyl substituent, have mutagenic activity in the Salmonella assay.     

The correlation between benzo[a]pyrene-induced mutagenicity and DNA adduct formation in Salmonella typhimurium TA100

In an attempt to stabilize the dose response in the Salmonella typhimurium test (STT), the use of DNA-bound products from BP was evaluated as a measure of the biologically effective dose. In addition to the previously documented interlaboratory variation, we observed a 3-fold difference in the dose response of TA100 to BP even when the assay was repeated with the same experimental conditions. When overall BP-DNA adduct formation was related to the level of His+ revertants, a series of responses emerged with two predominating. In the first type of response around 70 revertants per plate were generated for every BP molecule bound per 10(6) nucleotides of cellular DNA. The second response gave about 1400 revertants per plate for one BP bound in every 10(6) nucleotides. Several intermediates curves were also detected. The variation in the mutational response to binding levels occurred regardless of the source of S9 or the growth stage of the cells. These experiments indicate that there was no constant level of DNA damage that would lead to a specified number of revertants of TA100 by BP and that DNA modification was not solely responsible for mutagenic potency. It is possible that an induction of an error-prone repair function of the muc gene carried by the plasmid pKM101 in TA100 may be affecting the relationship between the measured adduct level and reversion frequency.     

Synthesis and enantioselective mutagenicity of azidoalanine in Salmonella typhimurium

Azide mutagenicity involves the requisite formation of the putative novel aminoacid metabolite, beta-azidoalanine. The role of this metabolite, however, is unclear. In order to confirm the identity of this metabolite and provide additional information on possible stereochemical requirements for mutagenicity, authentic racemic and L-azidoalanine were synthesized by an unambiguous route and tested for mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium TA100, TA1535, hisG46 and Escherichia coli WP2-. A marked antipodal potency ratio was observed in strains TA100 and TA1535 when racemic and L-azidoalanine were compared. The mutagenic activity resided primarily in the L-isomer. The molar potency of L-azidoalanine in TA100 and TA1535 was nearly identical to that of azide. The lack of mutagenic response for racemic or L-azidoalanine in hisG46 and E. coli WP2- was like that reported for azide and is consistent with similar modes of action for these agents.     

Design and implementation of a collaborative study of the mutagenicity of complex mixtures in Salmonella typhimurium.

In 1987, the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S. NIST) initiated an international collaborative study of the mutagenicity of complex environmental mixtures in the Ames Salmonella typhimurium mutation assay. The objectives of this study were: (1) to estimate the inter- and intra-laboratory variability associated with the extraction of mixtures for bioassay, (2) to estimate the inter- and intra-laboratory variability associated with the Salmonella typhimurium bioassay when applied to complex mixtures, and (3) to determine whether standard reference complex mixtures would be useful in mutagenicity studies and to evaluate whether reference or certified mutagenicity values determined from this collaborative study should be reported. The complex mixtures used in this study were selected from standard reference materials (SRMs) which had previously been issued by the U.S. NIST as SRM 1597 (coal tar), SRM 1649 (diesel particulate matter) and SRM 1650 (urban air particulate matter) with certified values for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These SRM complex mixtures are available to scientists as reference standards for analytical chemistry research and are under consideration as SRMs for mutagenicity studies of complex environmental mixtures. This paper briefly describes the final study design, protocol, selection of the complex mixtures, and implementation of this international study.     

4-chloromethylbiphenyl (4CMB), benzyl chloride (BC) and 4-hydroxymethylbiphenyl (4HMB): Reverse mutation tests with Salmonella typhimurium

In this study 4CMB was shown to be a strong, direct-acting, mutagen for S. typhimurium strains TA1538, TA1537, TA98 and TA100. However, for strain TA1535 the compound was only weakly mutagenic. No conclusive evidence of mutagenic activity was seen in tests with BC or 4HMB.     

Mechanisms of mutagenicity and toxicity of sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) in Salmonella typhimurium

The mechanisms of selenite toxicity and mutagenicity in S. typhimurium have been characterized. In contrast to previous reports, selenite toxicity was shown not to involve nonspecific incorporation into protein via the sulfur metabolic pathways. Selenite toxicity was, however, shown to involve its ability to act as an oxidizing agent, primarily through reactions with sulfhydryls. Strains which lack glutathione (GSH) are more sensitive to killing by sulfhydryl reagents. The selenite sensitivity of such a mutant was a biphasic phenomenon. The mutant was much more sensitive than a strain which contained GSH at lower selenite concentrations whereas, at higher concentrations, the mutant was much more resistant to selenite. The mechanism of selenite toxicity at lower concentrations in this mutant thus appeared to involve damage to intracellular sulfhydryls. The sensitization to higher doses of selenite by GSH could be explained by the generation of toxic oxygen species. The in vitro reactions of selenite with both cysteine and GSH readily produced H2O2 and O2-. A S. typhimurium strain which overproduces superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase was more resistant to high concentrations of selenite, but not killing by the lower doses. Pretreatment of cells with a nonlethal dose of selenite induced the synthesis of proteins which protected the cells from killing by H2O2 or high doses of selenite. Selenite was also a mutagen in the tester strain TA104, in which a number of other oxidizing agents have also been found to be mutagens. These results were consistent with a model in which the reactions of selenite and intracellular thiols with concomitant production of active oxygen species are the primary causal agents of selenite mutagenicity and toxicity in S. typhimurium.     

Anti-mutagenic chalcones: antagonizing the mutagenicity of benzo(a)pyrene on Salmonella typhimurium

Several chalcone derivatives; e.g. Ro 09-0204, Ro 09-0323 and Ro 09-0501 were found to reduce markedly the revertant increase of Salmonella typhimurium TA100 by benzo(a)pyrene during the incubation with S-9 Mix. The antimutagenic activity was 100 - 700 times stronger than that of L-ascorbic acid. Effect on other mutagens, the structure activity relationship and the possible mechanism of action are briefly discussed.     

Inverse correlation between bacterial frameshift mutagenicity and yeast mitochondrial effects of antitumour anilinoacridines

The mutagenicity of a series of derivatives of 9-anilinoacridine, including the clinical antitumour agent amsacrine, has been assessed using a bacterial frameshift tester strain (Salmonella typhimurium TA1537) and a yeast petite colony assay (Saccharomyces cerevisiae 5178B). The results have been compared with microbial mammalian cell cytotoxicity, DNA binding affinity and acridine base strength (pKa). Compounds containing strong electron donor substituents on the acridine ring, and which have a high acridine pKa, show minimal frameshift mutagenicity but are strong inducers of petite yeast mutants. Conversely, some compounds which have a high DNA binding constant but a significant proportion of uncharged form at neutral pH, show high frameshift mutagenicity but minimal induction of petite mutants. It is hypothesised that this inverse relationship arises from the presence of trans-membrane drug transport mechanisms which act to exclude some compounds, particularly strongly basic compounds from the cytoplasm and to concentrate them in mitochondria.     

Interaction of sulphate and chloride with cobalt(II)-carbonic anhydrase

The interaction between Cobalt(II)-Bovine Carbonic Anhydrase II and the inhibitors sulphate and chloride have been investigated through 1H NMR and electronic absorption spectroscopies. Both inhibitors bind to the metal ion forming a 1:1 adduct and the corresponding affinity constants have been determined. These inhibitors interact weakly with CoBCA II and this interaction only occurs at low pH values. The T1 values of the meta-like protons of the coordinated histidines have been measured. The coordination number of the metal ion in the adducts is discussed on the basis of temperature dependence of the isotropic shifts, T1, and molar absorbance values.     

A spectral study of cobalt(II)-substituted Bacillus cereus phospholipase C

The coordination sphere of both the structural and catalytic zinc ions of Bacillus cereus phospholipase C has been probed by substitution of cobalt(II) for zinc and investigation of the resultant derivatives by a variety of spectroscopic techniques. The electronic absorption, circular dichroic, magnetic circular dichroic, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra were found to be strikingly similar when cobalt(II) was substituted into either site and are consistent with a distorted octahedral environment for the metal ion in both sites. Octahedral coordination appears comparatively rare in zinc metalloenzymes but has been suggested for glyoxalase I [Sellin, S., Eriksson, L. E. G., Aronsson, A.-C., & Mannervik, B. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 2091-2093; Garcia-Iniguez, L., Powers, L., Chance, B., Sellin, S., Mannervik, B., & Mildvan, A. S. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 685-689], transcarboxylase [Fung, C.-H., Mildvan, A. S., & Leigh, J. S. (1974) Biochemistry 13, 1160-1169], and the regulatory binding site of Aeromonas aminopeptidase [Prescott, J. M., Wagner, F. W., Holmquist, B., & Vallee, B. L. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 5350-5356]. Phospholipase C is so far unique in having two such sites.     

Studies of mutagenicity and clastogenicity of 5-azacytidine in human lymphoblasts and Salmonella typhimurium

5-Azacytidine (5-AzaC) induced mutation in the TK^+/− human lymphoblastoid line, TK6, at both the thymidine kinase (tk) locus as measured by resistance to trifluorothymidine (F₃TdR), and the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (hgprt) locus, as measured by resistance to 6-thioguanine (6TG). F₃TdR^R and 6TG^R mutant fractions induced by 5-AzaC were observed after a normal phenotypic expression time and remained stable. Interestingly, 5-AzaC was 5–10 times more mutagenic at the tk locus than the hgprt locus. However, F₃TdR^R colonies from 5-AzaC-treated cultures behaved like TK-deficient mutants induced by other chemical mutagens.

The TK or HGPRT phenotype had no effect on the toxicity of 5-AzaC, thus eliminating differential toxicity as a potential cause for the observed higher mutability at the tk locus. 5-AzaC did not induce F₃TdR^R cells in the parental TK^+/+ lymphoblastoid line, indicating that 5-AzaC-induced F₃TdR^R variants were not due to a dominant alteration in gene expression. 5-AzaC did not induce chromosomal aberrations in TK6 cells, eliminating clastogenic events as a potential cause for the higher mutability at the tk locus.

5-AzaC was also found to be mutagenic in a forward mutation assay to 8-azaguanine resistance in Salmonella typhimurium.     

Spectroscopic properties of the cobalt(II)-substituted alpha-fragment of rabbit liver metallothionein

The C-terminal segment of rabbit liver metallothionein 1 (alpha-fragment) containing four paramagnetic Co(II) ions was obtained by stoichiometric replacement of the originally bound diamagnetic Cd(II) ions. The latter form was prepared by limited proteolysis with subtilisin as described previously [Winge, D. R., & Miklossy, K. A. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 3471-3476]. Electronic absorption, magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements were employed to monitor the stepwise incorporation of Co(II) ions into the metal-free fragment. Absorption and MCD spectra of the apofragment containing the first 3 Co(II) equiv show the typical features of tetrahedral tetrathiolate Co(II) coordination. However, in the d-d region only small changes in the visible and no apparent change in the near-infrared region are discernible when the fourth Co(II) is bound. This unusual spectral behavior was not seen in Co(II) substitution of native metallothionein [Vasák, M., & K?gi, J. H. R. (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 6709-6713] and may indicate a different cluster geometry. In the charge-transfer region, the binding of all 4 Co(II) equiv is accompanied by characteristic increments of the thiolate S----Co(II) bands. As in the formation of Co(II)7-metallothionein, the development of the charge-transfer and EPR spectral properties upon binding of the first 2 Co(II) equiv to the apofragment is indicative of isolated, noninteracting tetrahedral tetrathiolate Co(II) complexes. The binding of the additional Co(II) ion is accompanied by a red shift in the charge-transfer region and by the dramatic loss of paramagnetism in the EPR spectra, both diagnostic of the formation of metal-thiolate cluster structures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Inhibition by diacylmethane derivatives of mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium and tRNA-binding of chemical carcinogens

Effects of diacylmethanes on the mutagenicity of 2-naphthohydroxamic acid, methylnitrosourea, benzo[a]pyrene and aflatoxin B1 in S. typhimurium and the tRNA binding by benzo[a]pyrene and aflatoxin B1 were investigated. Acetylacetone, benzoylacetone and dibenzoylmethane inhibited the mutagenicity of 2-naphthohydroxamic acid, and dibenzoylmethane and 1,3-indandione inhibited that of methylnitrosourea, benzo[a]pyrene and aflatoxin B1. The binding to tRNA of benzo[a]pyrene and aflatoxin B1 was inhibited by benzoylacetone and dibenzoylmethane, and dibenzoylmethane, 1,3-indandione and 1,1,1-trifluoroacetylacetone, respectively. The inhibition of methylnitrosourea mutagenicity was observed when the bacteria were exposed concomitantly to the inhibitors and the mutagen, but not when they were exposed to the inhibitors 1 h after exposure to the mutagen. These results demonstrate that active methylene compounds can inhibit mutagenicity and nucleic acid-binding of chemical carcinogens presumably by trapping carcinogenic electrophiles, and they are potential anti-carcinogenic agents during the initiation stage.     

Enhancement of the mutagenicity of polyphenols by chlorination and nitrosation in Salmonella typhimurium.

The hydrolytic products of lignins, humic acids and industrial waste including hydroquinone, catechol, resorcinol, pyrogallol and 1,2,4-benzenetriol are widely distributed in water sources. These polyphenols can interact with chlorine or nitrite to yield new derivatives. Generally, these new products possess more mutagenic potential than their original compounds. Furthermore, the mutagenicity of these polyphenols and their derivatives can be dramatically reduced by rodent liver microsomal enzymes (S9). The mutagenicity of polyphenols is in this order: hydroquinone greater than 1,2,4-benzenetriol greater than pyrogallol, while catechol, resorcinol and phloroglucinol are non-mutagenic. The ultimate product of chlorination or nitrosation of hydroquinone has been identified to be p-benzoquinone. The formation of active oxygen species including superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide by polyphenols has been demonstrated and this may contribute partly to the molecular mechanisms of polyphenol mutagenicity.