title: The importance of using absolute mutant frequencies to compare mutation spectra.
abstract: Because damage to the cellular DNA is very hazardous for a cell, it is important to identify compounds, which can cause DNA damage. To investigate the mutagenic effect of a particular agent of interest, usually mutation spectra are determined in a selected target gene. The most commonly used method to compare different mutation spectra with each other, is the comparison of the percentages of each type of mutation. In this paper, it is emphasized that comparison of percentages can lead to incorrect conclusions and therefore another determinant, the absolute mutant frequency, should be used.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Section of Radiobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum, van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. gk.kuipers.oncol@med.vu.nl
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Kuipers
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Slotman
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Lafleur
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004249:DNA Damage; D016368:Frameshift Mutation; D005720:Gamma Rays; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D017354:Point Mutation
chemical_list: D004247:DNA