Mutational spectrometry in animal toxicity testing

The microbial geneticists who pioneered the study of mutational spectra have shown us how rich a source of mutagen-specific information it can be for the pharmacologist and toxicologist. Contributions by physical chemists and molecular biologists have led to a practical means to observe mutation spectra directly from the DNA of cultured human cells and this review suggests that the same methodology may be applied successfully to the study of mutations and mutational spectra in tissues of experimental animals and humans. In toxicological testing, the new field of mutational spectrometry offers a previously unattainable level of sensitivity and specificity as well as new tools for dissecting mechanisms of pharmacologic and toxic action.