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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1984 Apr;81(7):2112–2116. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.7.2112

A mutagen-testing assay based on heterogeneity in diameter and integrated optical density of mammalian cell colonies.

S H Dairkee, D A Glaser
PMCID: PMC345447  PMID: 6585791

Abstract

We investigated the effects of the well-known mutagenic agents ethyl methanesulfonate (EtMes), N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), and ICR-191 on colonies of the Chinese hamster ovary line CHO cultured on a semisolid substrate. These agents induced heterogeneity in diameter and integrated optical density of colonies as determined by computer-assisted photography and subsequent analysis of the images of the colonies. When CHO colonies were exposed to agents such as urethane that are not known to be mutagenic in mammalian systems or to activation-requiring mutagens such as cyclophosphamide, there was no noticeable effect on the distribution of colony diameter and volume. Similarly, nonmutagenic agents such as dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) also did not induce heterogeneity in colony diameter and integrated optical density. Our observations recommend the use of agar-grown mammalian cell colonies for predictive testing of chemical mutagens and carcinogens in a simple, in vitro mammalian cell assay. This assay system, unlike other mammalian cell culture assays, allows detection and measurement of the simultaneous effects of chemical mutagens on several genetic and non-genetic targets and, thus, may emulate more closely the potential hazards of these agents in vivo.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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