Abstract
A forward mutation system using prototrophic CH-hai Cl 23 cells (Ala+, Asn+, Pro+, Asp+, Hyp+, Glu+) isolated from an original Chinese hamster hai cell line was found to be much more sensitive than a reverse mutation system using auxotrophic CH-hai Cl 3 cells (TdR-), for detecting the mutations induced by chemical carcinogens or mutagens (4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide, N-methyl-N'nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, ethyl methane-sulfonate), as well as by X-rays and UV. It was found that the antimicrobial food additive, 2-(2-furyl)-3-(5-nitro-2-furyl) acrylic acid amide (furylfuramide: FF or AF2) has highly mutagenic activity so far as it was tested by the forward mutations. The forward mutation system, from prototrophic CH-hai Cl 23 cells to auxotrophs, established in this study can be applied as a useful system for detecting environmental mutagens and for elucidating the mechanisms of somatic cell mutation.
