Mutations Induced in the lacI Gene of E. coli by 1-Nitroso-8-Nitropyrene and Furylfuramide: The Influence of Plasmid pKM101 and Excision Repair on the Mutational Spectrum

Nitrated polyaromatic hydrocarbons (NO2PAH) and nitroheterocyclic compounds are of potential human health importance. NO2PAH are emitted into the environment as byproducts of combustion processes (1), while nitroheterocyclic compounds such as 5-nitrofuran derivatives have been widely used in both human and veterinary medicine, and as food additives and preservatives. Representatives of each of these chemical classes are potent mutagens in bacteria, and induce tumors in rodents (1,2).