Interrelationships among X-ray-induced anchorage independence, mutagenesis and chromosomal rearrangements in human diploid fibroblasts.

The changes in the frequencies of X-ray-induced mutations to 6-thioguanine resistance, chromosomal abnormalities and transformation to anchorage-independent growth were examined during confluent holding recovery in density-inhibited cultures of human diploid fibroblasts. Chromosomal abnormalities studied included non-stable aberrations, deletions, and reciprocal translocations measured up to 20 mean population doublings post-irradiation. Complex recovery kinetics were observed. A comparison of these kinetics suggests that reciprocal translocations are associated with the induction of both transformation and mutations. Mutagenesis correlated with deletions and translocations, whereas transformation correlated with translocations only.