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Mutation induction by 5-fluorodeoxyuridine in synchronous Chinese hamster cells

Cancer Research
|March 1, 1979
PubMed

Insights

5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd) treatment during early S phase in synchronized Chinese hamster ovary cells induces resistance to 6-thioguanine. This suggests FdUrd causes mutations at DNA replication forks, enhancing mutagenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Cell cycle synchronization is crucial for studying specific cellular events.
  • 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd) is a thymidine analog used to investigate DNA synthesis and repair.
  • 6-thioguanine resistance is a marker for mutations in specific genes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mutagenic effects of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd) at different stages of the cell cycle.
  • To determine if FdUrd treatment induces resistance to 6-thioguanine in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells.
  • To elucidate the relationship between DNA replication timing and FdUrd-induced mutagenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Synchronization of CHO cells using mitotic detachment.
  • Treatment with 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd) at specific cell cycle phases.
  • Assessment of 6-thioguanine resistance as a measure of induced mutation frequency.

Main Results:

  • FdUrd treatment during the early S phase significantly increased resistance to 6-thioguanine.
  • Treatment of asynchronous cells with FdUrd showed only a minor increase in 6-thioguanine resistance.
  • Mitotic selection enhanced the proportion of cells in the S phase susceptible to FdUrd-induced mutation.

Conclusions:

  • FdUrd-induced mutagenesis is cell cycle-dependent, primarily occurring during the early S phase.
  • Mutagenesis by FdUrd appears to target actively replicating DNA at replication growing points.
  • Cell cycle synchronization is a valuable tool for dissecting the mechanisms of chemical mutagenesis.

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