title: DNA sequence analysis of mutations induced by melphalan in the CHO aprt locus.
abstract: In previous work, we established that treatment with melphalan (L-phenylalanine mustard) produced a predominance of A.T-->T.A transversions in the Simian virus 40 (SV40)-based shuttle vector pZ189 during replication in human 293 cells. Mutations were induced with varying doses (4-12 microM) melphalan in the aprt gene of the hemizygous Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line D422 to determine whether a similar mutation spectrum would be observed in an endogenous gene. DNA sequence alterations were determined for 39 spontaneous and 41 melphalan-induced independent mutant clones. Other than a predominance of transversions in both systems, the spectrum of melphalan-induced aprt mutations bears little resemblance to the spectrum observed in the supF gene of the shuttle plasmid pZ189. In aprt, mutations at G.C base pairs (bp) predominated (29 of 41 base substitutions). Significantly enhanced mutagenesis was observed at 5' G-G-C 3' and 5' G-G-C-C 3' sites in the aprt gene. Almost half of the melphalan-induced base substitutions occurred at 5' G-N-C 3' sequences, which are believed to be potential interstrand crosslink sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University-Medical College of Virginia, Richmond.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Povirk
mesh_terms: D000228:Adenine Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016466:CHO Cells; D002470:Cell Survival; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006224:Cricetinae; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D008558:Melphalan / Q000633:toxicity*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D000228:Adenine Phosphoribosyltransferase; D008558:Melphalan