Effect of metals on mutagenesis and DNA repair

Unlike the situation with organic compounds, metals do not show a high correlation between carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. An agent may be mutagenic by causing misreplication of DNA due to alterations of the DNA template, decreased fidelity of DNA polymerase, or inhibition of the proofreading of DNA replication. In addition, bacteria have an inducible, error-prone DNA repair system (SOS repair) whose activity results in mutagenesis. In the best studied example of metal mutagenesis, chromate, there is little evidence for the involvement of the SOS system. Metals may act as comutagens by inhibiting the repair of damage to DNA caused by another agent. This has been demonstrated for arsenite. Comutagens would not be detected by standard screening methods.