Mutagenicity and DNA-modifying activity: a comparison of two microbial assays.

Aspects of the Salmonella mutagenesis and Escherichia coli DNA polymerase deficient (pol A1) assay procedures for detecting environmental mutagens are discussed. The chief limitation of the pol A1-- assay involves substances that do not diffuse rapidly in agar. This problem can be overcome by performing the test in suspension. A simple procedure for accomplishing this is described. Although the Salmonella assay is more flexible, under routine conditions it does not respond to several classes of substances which give positive responses in the pol A1- system. For optimal testing, it is recommended that the two microbial assays be used in tandem. The DNA-modifying properties of povidone-iodine for eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells are described. Even though this substance does not display mutagenic properties in the standard Salmonella assay, it does so in suspension culture. The basis of the mutagenic and DNA-modifying properties of povidone-iodine appears to involve the iodination of the cystosine residue of DNA.