Mitomycin C-induced sister chromatid exchanges and classical chromosome lesions in cultured lymphocytes of Saguinus oedipus oedipus and Saginus fuscicollis illigeri

Lymphocyte cultures from l0 tamarins of the "cancer prone" S. Oedipus species and from l0 tamarins of the "cancer resistant" S. Fuscicollis species were treated in vitro with the clastogen mitomycin C to determine whether there were differences in sensitivity to mutagen-induced cytogenetic lesions between the two species of tamarins or within S. Oedipus animals. No differences in either spontaneous or mutagen-induced sister chromatid exchange were observed between S. Oedipus and S. Fuscicollis, but there was significant variability in induced sister chromatid exchange frequencies within S. Oedipus Further studies of animals related to the tamarin with the highest induced sister chromatid exchanges demonstrated that the same trait was present in lymphocytes of a sibling and the female parent. Induced classical chromosome lesions evaluated in cultures from these same animals showed the same increased response over other animals tested from either species. These data suggest that individual S. Oedipus animals may have increased sensitivity to mutagen-induced cytogenetic lesions and that this sensitivity may be the expression of a genetic trait. Whether this sensitivity is related to the increased incidence of colon cancer in animals of the same species is not known, but chromosomal sensitivity has been demonstrated in cells from patients with several genetic diseases, also characterized by an increased risk of cancer.