Excision of DNA damage arising from chemicals of different carcinogenic potencies.

Primary cultures of mouse embryo cells are more efficient in excising DNA-carcinogen adducts resulting from exposure to either 7-bromomethylbenz-[alpha]anthracene or the more carcinogen 7-bromomethyl-12-methylbenz[alpha]anthracene than are mouse L 929 cell suspension cultures. However, within each of these systems, the excisabilities of the adducts formed by either bromo-compound are similar, so differences in carcinogenic potency of the compounds cannot be attributed to differences in the excisability of their DNA-adducts.