Bleomycin genotoxicity alteration by glutathione and cytochrome P-450 cellular content in respiratory proficient and deficient strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The genotoxic effects of the antiblastic drug bleomycin were studied in the D7 strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and on its derivative mitochondrial mutant rho degree at different cellular concentrations of two drug metabolizing systems, glutathione (GSH) and cytochrome P-450. Bleomycin mutagenic activity was evaluated as frequencies of mitotic gene conversion, reversion and total aberrations under different physiological conditions. In the D7 strain, petite mutant induction was also detected. This is important due to the role of the mitochondrial genome in cancer induction, ageing and degenerative diseases. Both strains showed higher convertant than revertant induction. At high cytochrome…