Kinds and locations of mutations arising spontaneously in the coding region of the HPRT gene of finite-life-span diploid human fibroblasts.

Spontaneous thioguanine-resistant mutants were derived from populations of finite-life-span, diploid human fibroblasts by means of a fluctuation analysis. cDNA was prepared from mutant HPRT mRNA and amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, and the sequence of the product was analyzed. Exon deletions, which very likely arose from mutations in the intron splice site consensus sequences, were found in 10 of the 37 mutants examined (27% of the total). Among the 28 mutations in the coding sequence, base pair substitutions predominated (89%). With the exception of one base pair involved in a tandem mutation, all base pair substitutions resulted in alterations in the predicted amino acid sequence of the protein. In addition there were three frameshift mutations, consisting of the deletion of one or two base pairs. Although mutations occurred throughout the coding sequence, 50% (14/28) were found in the 5' portion of exon 3.