Lethal and mutagenic effects of radiation and chemicals on cultured fish cells derived from the erythrophoroma of goldfish ( Carassius auratus)

Abstract

GEM 199 cells derived from an erythrophoroma of goldfish ( Carassius auratus), which had a high plating efficiency, were used to investigate the lethal and mutational effects of radiations (UV and γ-rays) and chemicals (4NQPO and MNNG). The cells were more resistant to γ-rays than mammalian cells and CAF-MM1 cells derived from the normal fin tissue of goldfish. They were also more resistant to UV-irradiation than CAF-MM1 cells. Photoreactivation after UV-irradiation was present in GEM 199 cells for both survival and mutation. The initial shoulder of the survival curve of UV-irradiated cells was reduced greatly by caffeine, suggesting a high activity of the post-replication repair. The spontaneous mutation frequency to ouabain resistance was 1−5 × 10 −6 clones per viable cell. MNNG was effective in inducing ouabain-resistant mutation, while 4NQO and γ-rays did not induce mutation.