Conditions necessary for quantifying mutation-induction to 6-thioguanine resistance, which selects for >98% mutants deficient in the activity of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) in a near-diploid Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line, referred to as CHO/HGPRT system, have been defined. Employing this mutation assay, we have determined the mutagenicity of diversified agents including 11 direct-acting alkylating agents, 16 nitrosamines, 10 heterocyclic nitrogen mustards, 15 metallic compounds, 5 quinolines, 5 aromatic amines, 27 polycyclic hydrocarbons, 13 miscellaneous chemicals, 7 ionizing and non-ionizing physical agents. The direct-acting carcinogen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine is mutagenic while its noncarcinogenic analogue N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitroguanidine is not. Coupled with the rat liver S/sub 9/-activation system, procarcinogens such as nitrosopyrrolidine, benzo(a)pyrene, and 2-acetylaminofluorene are mutagenic while their analogues 2,5-dimethylnitrosopyrrolidine, pyrene and fluorene are not. The assay appears to be applicable for monitoring the genetic toxicity of crude organic mixtures in addition to diverse individual chemical and physical agents. The quantitative nature of the assay enables a study of EMS exposure dose: the mutagenic potential of EMS can be described as 310 x 10/sup -6/ mutants (cell mg ml/sup -1/ h)./sup -1/ It is also feasible to expand the CHO/HGPRT system for quantifying cytotoxicity and mutagenicity to determination of chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges in cells treated under identical conditions which allows a simultaneous study of these four distinctive biological effects.
