Modulation of induced reversion frequency by nucleotide pool imbalance as a tool for mutant characterization.

Addition of thymidine (TdR) or deoxycytidine (CdR) to the culture medium during posttreatment incubation affected the frequency of mutagen-induced reversion in three hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase-deficient mutants of V79 Chinese hamster cells. With two of the mutants (E20 and I3), reversions induced by N-ethylnitrosourea, ethyl methanesulfonate, and methyl methanesulfonate were enhanced by TdR and were either decreased (E20) or not affected (I3) by CdR. With the third mutant (E21), alkylating agent-induced reversions were enhanced by CdR and decreased by TdR. Finally, 6-amino-2-hydroxypurine induced reversions were enhanced by TdR in mutant I3 and were decreased by TdR or …