Analytical Chemistry related to Biofunctional Research. Detection of environmental mutagens using transgenic animals.

A bio-assay for detecting adverse effects caused by chemicals contaminated in water and ambient air is a novel methodology for systematically evaluating the health risk of environmental chemicals. We intend to evaluate the mutagenicity of chemicals, and have developed a method to detect mutations induced in the body by environmental chemicals using transgenic animals, in which the monitor genes for detecting the mutation are intergrated into genomic DNA. We evaluated the mutagenicity of diesel exhaust (DE) using a transgenic rat harboring the lac I gene as a monitor gene (Big Blue rat). DE exposure at a concentration of 6 mg suspended particular matter/m(3) caused mutations in Big Blue rat lung. We have established a transgenic zebrafish line harboring rpsL gene for detecting mutagens in the aquatic environment. Using the embryos of this transgenic fish, mutations induced by chemicals, such as ethyl nitrosourea and benzo[a]pyrene, were detected. The possibility of environmental monitoring for hazardous chemicals using transgenic animals and other experimental animals is discussed.