UTILITY OF A TEST FOR CHROMOSOMAL MALSEGREGATION IN SACCHAROMYCES-CEREVISIAE STRAIN D61.M FOR THE DETECTION OF ANTIANEUGENS - TEST OF THE MODEL COMBINATION OF CHLOROPHYLLIN AND NOCODAZOLE

Despite the fact that aneuploidy is a major genetic cause of human mor bidity and mortality, antimutagenicity studies have used predominantly short-term tests that detect gene mutations, chromosomal aberrations, and micronuclei. Therefore, the major deficiency in the use of short- term tests for antimutagenicity studies is those that detect chromosom al malsegregation leading to aneuploidy. Thus, we initiated a study on the utility of short-term tests for the detection of antianeugenic ac tivity. We selected strain D61.M of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, nocodazo le, and chlorophyllin as a model short-term test, aneugen, and antimut agen, respectively, for our initial study. Chlorophyllin strongly inhi bited the aneugenic activity of nocodazole, but had no effect on the e ndpoints when tested alone, in strain D61.M. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an antianeugen. Furthermore, we conclude that str ain D61.M can be used as a relatively simple, inexpensive, and rapid s hort-term test for the study of antianeugenicity.