Molecular analysis of mutations induced by chemical carcinogens in mammalian cells. I. The use of selectable gene loci.

Several lines of evidence indicate the important role of mutation in the process of carcinogenesis, however our understanding of the factors that influence the formation of mutation is still limited. Recent developments in the analysis of gene mutations at selectable loci in cultured mammalian cells has allowed to accumulate a significant amount of information on the type and distribution of mutations induced by a variety of chemical and physical agents. The purpose of this review is to summarize the data relative to chemical carcinogens and to discuss how their mechanism of interaction with DNA and the repair processes active on the induced lesions affect mutational spectra.