Epidermal growth factor induces cytogenetic damage in mammalian cells

It has been previously shown that potent tumor promoters, such as the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), can induce both chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in mammalian cells. We show here that epidermal growth factor (EGF) is also capable of inducing SCE. EGF and TPA did not enhance the frequency of SCE in an additive fashion, suggesting these agents do not act by completely independent mechanisms.