Effects of metabolic inhibitors on cell lethality and mutation induction in Chinese hamster cells. I. Inhibitors of de novo purine synthesis and a comparison with the effects of caffeine.

The effect of pre- and posttreatment incubation of UV-irradiated and ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) treated cells with non-toxic concentrations of inhibitors of de novo purine synthesis (dnPS) on expression of potentially lethal and premutational damage at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) locus in V79 cells has been examined. The concentrations of inhibitors used were shown to profoundly perturb de novo DNA synthesis, by measurements of [14C]formate uptake, and cell cycle progression by flow cytofluorimetry. Postincubation in 6-methyl mercapto-purine ribonucleoside (MMPR) usually but not invariably potentiated the cytotoxic effect of UV and EMS but azaserine (AZS) and methotrexate (MTX) were without effect. No effects on mutant frequencies were observed on posttreatment with any of these agents. Caffeine produced the least effect on dnPS, but invariably potentiated lethal damage. This potentiation of lethal damage is not mediated by dnPS inhibition as has been suggested for Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells.