Comparison of the frequencies of spontaneous and chemically-induced 5-bromodeoxyuridine-resistance mutations in wild-type and revertant BHK-21-13 cells.

5-bromodeoxyuridine resistance mutations induced by mutagenesis were studied. The average expression time for induced mutations varied with the concentration of the mutagen ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS). However, a constant number of two generation times was necessary for half maximal expression of induced mutations. Also, induced mutation rates were compared under optimal expression conditions for bromodeoxyuridine, fluorodeoxyuridine and azaguanine resistance markers. Ten independent bromodeoxy-uridine-resistant clones were tested for reversion. Two clones reverted-one spontaneously and the other after mutagenesis. The spontaneous rate of mutation to bromodeoxyuridine resistance, estimated by the fluctuation test, was high in revertant clones (4 x 10(-6) / cell / generation) and low in the wild-type cells (< 3.5 x 10(-8) / cell / generation). A comparison of induced mutation frequencies at variable EMS concentrations showed a single-hit curve for revertant clones and a multihit curve for the wild-type cells. Thymidine kinase activities of resistant clones were usually less than 2% of that of the wild-type clone. Inducibility, thermal stability and intracellular localization of the thymidine kinases of the wild-type cells and of a revertant clone were identical. A low, but significant (P < 0.10), Km discrepancy was observed between enzyme extracts of these lines. The genetic implications of these results are discussed.