Mutagenicity of organophosphorus compounds in bacteria and Drosophila.

140 Organophosphorus compounds (OP's) have been tested for mutagenic activity in bacteria, principally by using two specially constructed sets of tester strains of the bacteria Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. It was found that 20% gave positive mutagenic responses and that this group of chemicals produce base subsitutions rather than frame-shift mutations. In most cases the DNA repair genes exrA+ and recA+ were required for mutagenic activity. Seven compounds were further tested in Drosophila melanogaster for the ability to induce recessive lethal mutations. In some of these cases the doses administered to the flies had to be very low due to the highly toxic nature of the compounds. To over-come this problem, the accumulation of recessive lethal mutations was measured in populations which were continually exposed to the compounds over a period of some 18 months. During this time the populations developed increased resistance to the compound and so the dose administered could gradually be increased. Six of the compounds were mutagenic. Of the compounds tested in both systems, those showing mutagenic activity in bacteria were also mutagenic in Drosophila, those not mutagenic in bacteria were not mutagenic in Drosophila.