Removal of aflatoxin B1-DNA adducts and in vitro transformation in mouse embryo fibroblasts C3H/10T1 1/2.

The mechanism of in vitro transformation of the mouse embryo fibroblast C3H/10T 1/2 clone 8 by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was studied in confluent holding (CH) experiments. Confluent cultures of C3H/10T 1/2 cells were treated with AFB1 for 16 hours, and the DNA adduct composition and concentration were determined by chromatographic procedures after 0, 8, 16, and 40 hours of CH when the cells were replated at low density for the expression of their colony-forming ability and the formation of transformed foci. Total adduct concentration and the concentration of the major primary adduct 2,3-dihydro-2-(N7-guanyl)-3-hydroxyaflatoxin B1 (AFB1-N7-Gua) decreased continuously during CH due to spontaneous decomposition and probably also due to enzymatic repair processes. In contrast, the more chemically stable secondary product 2,3-dihydro-2-(N5-formyl-2',5',6'-triamino-4'-oxo-N5-pyrimidyl)-3-hydroxyaflatoxin B1 (AFB1-triamino-Py) accumulated in the DNA and reached its maximum concentration after 16 hours of CH. While the loss of total AFB1-DNA adducts during CH was reflected in recovery of viability, the potential to form transformed foci reached a maximum after 16 hours of CH and then decreased with continued CH below the initial value. Therefore, no simple relationship exists between the concentration of the total adducts AFB1-N7-Gua and AFB1-triamino-Py at the time of release from CH and the potential to form transformed foci. However, DNA lesions or abnormal DNA configurations formed during CH as a consequence of the cellular processing of AFB1-DNA adducts may play a role in the transformation process.