Lethal and mutagenic effects of radiation and chemicals on cultured fish cells derived from the erythrophoroma of goldfish (Carassius auratus)

GEM 199 cells derived from an erythrophoroma of goldfish (Carassius auratus), which had a high plating efficiency, were used to investigate the lethal and mutational effects of radiations (UV and gamma-rays) and chemicals (4NQO and MNNG). The cells were more resistant to gamma-rays than mammalian cells and CAF-MM1 cells derived from the normal fin tissue of goldfish. They were also more resistant to UV-irradiation than CAF-MM1 cells. Photoreactivation after UV-irradiation was present in GEM 199 cells for both survival and mutation. The initial shoulder of the survival curve of UV-irradiated cells was reduced greatly by caffeine, suggesting a high activity of the post-replication repair. The spontaneous mutation frequency to ouabain resistance was 1-5 X 10(-6) clones per viable cell. MNNG was effective in inducing ouabain-resistant mutation, while 4NQO and gamma-rays did not induce mutation.