RESUMEN
The Escherichia coli K12 (343/113) test system developed by G. Mohn was used to detect the mutagenic activity induced by a group of aliphatic nitrosamines. Metabolic activation was incorporated into the assay by the addition of liver homogenates induced in either Sprague-Dawley rats or C3H mice with the addition of 0.1% phenobarbital to the drinking water. Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) was mutagenic upon metabolic activation and exhibited a preference to revert the missense mutation at the arginine locus. NDEA was also capable of inducing the forward mutation, selected as an ability to utilize galactose. NDEA was converted effectively into a mutagen in a time period of 30 min to 2 h. Metabolic activation with the mouse and rat liver preparations did not result in quantitative differences. Aliphatic nitrosamines that gave unexpected results with the Salmonella assay [4-10] were examined in the E. coli system. Nitrosodipropylamine (NDPA) and nitrosodiallylamine (NDAA) were mutagenic in both E. coli and Salmonella. Nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA) was not mutagenic in Salmonella but was mutagenic in E. coli, and a strong carcinogen, nitrosomethylneopentylamine (NMNA), was not mutagenic in either assay. These results indicate the use of multiple genetic assays for the detection of genotoxic chemicals in our environment.