Abraham W. Hsie

The dose-response relationship for ethyl methanesulfonate-induced mutations at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase locus in Chinese hamster ovary cells

The frequency of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-induced mutations to 6-thioguanine resistance in a Chinese hamster ovary cells done K1-BH4 was studied at many EMS doses including the minimally lethal range (0–100 μg/ml) as well as the exponential killing portion (100–800 μg/ml) of the survival curve. The mutation frequency increases approximately in proportion with increasing EMS concentration at a fixed treatment time. The pooled data for the observed mutation frequency, f(X), as a function of EMS dose X, is adequately described by a linear function f(X)=10−6(8.73+3.45 X), where 0≤X≤800 μg/ml. One interpretation of the linear dose-response is that, as a result of EMS treatment, ethylation of cellular constituents occurs, which is directly responsible for the mutation. Biochemical analyses demonstrate that most of the randomly isolated 6-thioguanine-resistant variants possess a highly reduced or undetectable level of HGPRT activity suggesting that the EMS-induced mutations to 6-thioguanine resistance affect primarily, if not exclusively, the HGPRT locus.

Specific-locus mutations induced in eukaryotes (especially mammalian cells) by radiation and chemicals: a perspective.

In the course of discovering the first mutagen (X-rays) just over 60 years ago, Herman J. Muller asked whether X-rays induced single-gene mutations and/or chromosomal (multiple-gene) mutations. To a large extent, his question has set the agenda for mutagenesis research ever since. We explore historically the answers to this question, with special emphasis on recent developments in the field of mammalian cell mutagenesis. Studies indicate that ionizing radiation and many chemical mutagens/carcinogens induce both gene and chromosomal mutations; however, only certain genetic systems permit the recovery and analysis of both classes of mutations. Few chemical mutagens induce only gene mutations in mammalian cells; instead, most mutagens appear to induce both classes of mutations, with chromosomal mutations (especially multilocus deletions) predominating at high doses. These results have implications regarding the mechanisms of mutagenesis, the role of chromosomal mutations in carcinogenesis and hereditary disease, and the type of data required for risk assessment of physical and chemical mutagens/carcinogens.

Phenotype expression time of mutagen-induced 6-thioguanine resistance in Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO/HGPRT system)

Abstract Mutation induction at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) locus in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells (referred to as the CHO/HGPRT system) can be quantitated by selection for the phenotype of resistance to 6-thioguanine (TG) under stringently defined conditions. The phenotypic expression time, that is, the time interval after mutagen treatment which is necessary befor all mutant cells are able to express the TG-resistant phenotype, has been found to be 7–9 days in this CHO/HGPRT system when the cells are subcultured every 48 h. Subculture in medium with or without hypoxanthine (HX) utilizing trypsin, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), or ethylene glycol bis( β -aminoethyl ether)- N , N , N ′, N ′-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) for cell removal yields identical results. When subculture at intervals greater than 48 h is employed, a slight lengthening of the expression time is observed. An alternative method to regular subculture has also been achieved by maintaining the cells in a viable, non-dividing state in serum-free medium. This procedure yields a similar time course of phenotypic expression and thus shows that continued cell division is not essential to this expression process. In addition, this observation offers methodology which can significantly reduce the investment of time and money for mutation induction determinations in this mammalian cell gene mutation assay.

Quantitative and molecular analyses of radiation-induced mutation in AS52 cells

pSV2gpt-Transformed and wild-type Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines have been used to study radiation-induced mutation at the molecular level. The transformant, designated AS52, was constructed from a hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT)-deficient CHO cell line and contains a single, functional copy of the Escherichia coli xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (XPRT) gene (gpt) stably integrated into the Chinese hamster genome. AS52 and wild-type CHO-K1-BH4 cells exhibit similar cytotoxic responses to uv light and X rays; however, significant differences occur in mutation induction at the gpt and hprt loci. A number of HPRT and XPRT mutants which arose following irradiation were analyzed by Southern-blot hybridization. Most XPRT (21/26) and all HPRT (23/23) mutants induced by uv light exhibited hybridization patterns indistinguishable from their parental cell lines. In contrast, all XPRT (26/26) and most HPRT mutants (15/21) induced by X irradiation contained deletion mutations affecting some or all of the gpt and hprt loci, respectively. These results indicate that X rays induce predominantly deletion mutations, while uv light is likely to induce point mutations at both loci.

The dose-response relationship for ultraviolet-light-induced mutations at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase locus in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Exposure of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells clone K1BE4 to ultraviolet (UV) light at doses up to 86 ergs/mm2 did not significantly reduce cell survival, but UV doses of 86–648 ergs/mm2 produced an exponential cell killing. Observed mutation frequency to 6-thioguannine resistance induced by UV increases approximately in proportion to increasing doses up to 260 ergs/mm2 in a range of 5–648 ergs/mm2 examined. The pooled data of mutation frequency f(X) as a function of dose X from 0–260 ergs/mm2 is adequately described by f(X)=10−6 (13.6+2.04 X). That the UVinduced mutations to 6-thioguanine resistance affects the hypoxanthineguanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) locus is supported by the observation that all randomly isolated drugresistant colonies contained highly reduced or undetectable HGPRT activity.

Analyses of mutation in pSV2gpt-transformed CHO cells

We have developed a system to study mutations which affect expression of the E. coli xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (XPRT) gene (gpt) in hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase-deficient (HPRT-) Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells that have been transformed by the plasmid pSV2gpt. Several gpt-transformed cell lines have been isolated and characterized with respect to integrated pSV2gpt sequences, expression of the gpt gene, and cytotoxic and mutagenic responses to UV light. While the gpt-transformed CHO and wild-type CHO-K1-BH4 cell lines have similar cytotoxic responses to UV light, the gpt-transformed cell lines respond differently from the parental CHO-K1-BH4 cell line in terms of mutation induction. As with CHO-K1-BH4 HPRT mutants, spontaneous or induced XPRT mutants derived from the gpt+ cell lines can be selected for 6-thioguanine resistance (TGr). Analysis of cell-free extracts from a number of these TGr clones indicates that the mutant phenotype is due to the absence of XPRT activity. One transformant, designated AS52, has previously been described in limited detail. Here we describe additional characteristics of this cell line, as well as several related transformants.

A fluence response study of lethality and mutagenicity of white black, and blue fluorescent light, sunlamp, and sunlight irradiation in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Under a set of defined experimental conditions, the fluence response of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells to various light sources was studied by measuring single-cell survival and mutation to 6-thioguanine (TG) resistance. Fluorescent white, black, and blue lights were sightly lethal and mutagenic. Sunlamp light was highly lethal and mutagenic, exhibiting these biological effects within 15 sec of exposure under conditions recommended by the manufacturer for human use. Lethal and mutagenic effects were observed after 5 min of sunlight exposure; responses varied with hourly and daily variations in solar radiation. Sunlight-induced TG-resistant variants possessed less than 5% of parental cellular hypoxanthine--guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) enzyme activity, suggesting that the mutation induction occurs at this locus. The cell survival and mutation-induction curves generated by exposure of cells to both sunlamp and sunlight were similar to those obtained by the use of a standard far-UV lamp.

Comparative mutagenicity of alkylsulfate and alkanesulfonate derivatives in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Mutation induction and cell killing produced by selected alkylsulfates and alkanesulfonates have been quantitated using the Chinese hamster ovary/hypoxanthine--guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (CHO/HGPRT) system. Dose--response relationships of cytotoxicity and mutagenicity are presented for two alkylsulfates [dimethylsulfate (DMS), diethylsulfate (DES)] and three alkyl alkanesulfonates [methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), and isopropyl methanesulfonate (iPMS)]. Under the experimental conditions employed, cytotoxicity decreased with the size of the alkyl group. DMS was more toxic than DES, and MMS was more toxic than EMS and iPMS. All agents produced linear dose--response of mutation induction: DMS was more mutagenic than DES, and MMS was more mutagenic than EMS and iPMS based on mutants induced per unit mutagen concentration. However, the following relative mutagenic potency was observed when comparisons were made at 10% survival: DES greater than DMS; EMS greater than MMS greater than iPMS.

An effect of cell-cycle position on ultraviolet-light-induced mutagenesis in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Using synchronous populations obtained by selectively detaching mitotic cells from cultures grown in monolayer, we demonstrate here that Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells exhibit a differential sensitivity to mutation induction by UV as a function of position in the cell cycle. When mutation induction to 6-thioguanine (TG) resistance is monitored, several maxima and minima are displayed during cell-cycle traverse, with a major maximum occurring in early S phase. Although cells in S phase are more sensitive to UV-mediated cell lethality than those in G1 or G2/M phases, there is not a strict correlation with induced mutation frequency. Fluence-response curves obtained at several times during the cell cycle yield Dq values approximating 6 J/m2. The primary survival characteristic which varies with cell cycle position is D0, ranging from 2.5 J/m2 at 6 h after mitotic selection to 5.5 J/m2 at 11 h afterward. Based on studies with asynchronous, logarithmically growing populations, as well as those mitotically selected to be synchronous, the optimum phenotypic expression time for induced TG resistance is 7--9 days and is essentially independent of both UV fluence and position in the cell cycle. All isolated mutants have altered hypozanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) activity, and no difference in the residual level of activity was detected among isolated clones receiving UV radiation during G1, S, or late S/G2 phases of the cell cycle. Changes in cellular morphology during cell-cycle traverse do not contribute to the differential susceptibility to UV-induced mutagenesis.

Induction of chromosome aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges, and specific locus mutations in Chinese hamster ovary cells by 5-bromodeoxyuridine

The induction of cytotoxicity, growth inhibition, specific locus mutations, and cytological alterations such as micronuclei, chromosome/chromatid aberrations, and sister chromatid exchanged by 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BudR) in Chinese hamster ovary cells was determined. BudR shows concentration-dependent increases in cytological alterations over the range of 5-500 muM, but it is mutagenic only at concentrations greater than 50 muM.