Carcinogens as frameshift mutagens: metabolites and derivatives of 2-acetylaminofluorene and other aromatic amine carcinogens.

Several carcinogenic metabolites of the carcinogen 2-acetyl-aminofluorene, especially 2-nitrosofluorene and N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene, are potent frameshift mutagens for Salmonella typhimurium. 2-Nitrosonaphthalene, 2-nitrosophenanthrene, 4-nitroso-trans-stilbene, 4-nitrosobiphenyl, and 4-nitrosoazobenzene, all of which are metabolites or likely metabolites of carcinogenic aromatic amines, are also potent frameshift mutagens. These compounds may be frameshift mutagens of the class that intercalates into DNA and then reacts covalently with the DNA; various ultimate carcinogens may be of this type. The utility of a set of bacterial strains for detecting carcinogens as mutagens is shown.