Mutagenic Properties of Agricultural and Household Pesticides DAVID FARRIS, KIMBERLY CHAMPINE, DAVID RICKS, JENNIFER SEABAUGH, and JIM CHAMPINE Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO

Pesticide Usage in Southeast Missouri Over 150 pesticides are used in Scott and Dunklin Counties Shared aquifer represents the drinking water supply Anecdotal reports

Inquiry Do pesticides represent a health threat? Test pesticides and ground water samples using the Salmonella Histidine-reversion assay (Ames test). Null hypothesis – these materials do not increase the mutation rate of the indicator organism.

The Ames Test His - strains of Salmonella typhimurium Exposure to the suspected mutagen Reversion to His + on minimal medium Reversion rate = forward rate

Procedure Top Agar 0.1 ml Culture 0.1 ml Compound Glucose minimal medium, trace histidine 24 hours 48 hours Plate Incorporation Test

Tester Strain Genotypes GenotypePhenotype hisG46 (TA 100)Missense point mutation GGG  GAG hisD3502 (TA 98)-1 Frameshift -GC- rich region rfaLPS permeability  uvrB Normal repair mechanism R-factorError prone DNA repair

Compounds Tested

Results CompoundStrainRevertants Ave, SD p (t,1 tail) Water TA 100 TA , , 0.7 Azide TA 100 TA , , EtBr TA 100 TA , , Round-up TA 100 TA , , Bug-Stop TA 100 TA 98 >

Conclusions Round-up induces frameshift mutations Bug-stop induces both frameshift and point mutations Hot-shot does not induce frameshift mutations (data not shown)

Discussion Be careful handling pesticides! Environmental Mutagen Information Center Index Correlation between mutagenicity and carcinogenicity

Future Research Agricultural pesticides and ground water samples “Activation” by S9 Liver extract Synergistic effects

Kimberly Champine and David Ricks Maija Bluma and Krista LeGrand John Kraemer Southeast Missouri State Grants and Funding Committee Acknowledgements