Mutation Research, 250 (1991) 499-502 © 1991 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved 0027-5107/91/$03.50 ADONIS 0027510791002087

499

MUT 02548

Mutation Research and the literature of genetic toxicology Another milestone

John S. Wassom and Elizabeth S. Von Halle Human Genome and Toxicology Group, Biomedical and Entironmental Information Analysis Section, Health and Safety Research

Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory *, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6050 (U.S.A.)

(Accepted 3 June 1991)

A few years ago the staff of the Environmental Mutagen Information Center (EMIC) extended warmest congratulations to the Publisher and Ed- itor-in-Chief of Mutation Research when Volume 150 of the journal was published. We repeat these tidings on the publication of the 250th volume. As these significant milestones are reached, we think it appropriate to review briefly the state of the genetic toxicology literature and the role of Mutation Research in expediting the transfer of knowledge among researchers in the field. From the time the first issue of the journal appeared in 1964, Mutation Research has re- mained the most prominent publication in the field of genetic toxicology. This prominence can be attributed to the hard work and vision of its founder and only Editor-in-Chief, Professor Dr. Frits Sobels.

EMIC, since its inception in 1969, has been cataloguing the papers published in the field of

* Managed by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy, under contract number DE- AC05 -84OR21400.

Correspondence: Dr. John S. Wassom, Human Genome and Toxicology Group, Biomedical and Environmental Informa- tion Analysis Section, Health and Safety Research Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6050 (U.S.A.).

genetic toxicology and systematically computeriz- ing information and data selected from these publications. To date over 75000 papers have been collected and processed. An example of an EMIC indexed record is shown in Fig. 1. The indexing scheme used by EMIC not only provides the means of conducting precise searching of the file, it also makes it possible to make observations regarding the state of the literature. In 1985 when Volume 150 of the journal was published, we reported that over 12% of the EMIC collec- tion came from Mutation Research. Currently (May 1991), this percentage has risen to almost 16% (15.6%), a significant advancement in just 6 years.

An overview of the current status of the litera- ture in the field of genetic toxicology compared with its status 18 years ago (Wassom, 1973) re- veals some interesting trends and characteristics. Tracking the papers selected for entry into the EMIC file showed that the rate at which articles are published in the field is proportional to the state of excitement or interest in the field for a given period. Even though this comes as no great revelation, the events (perceived from our van- tage point as custodians of the literature for 22 years) that catalyzed publication of a great many of these articles are noteworthy. The events (by decade from the 1950s through the early 1990s) that provided the stimulus to publish are re- viewed in the following compilation.

500

Decade Influencing factor, event, or situation

1950s

196A}s

1970s

1980s

1990s

Discovery of more mutagenic agents, particularly chemicals that have radiomimetic characteristics: development of assay systems; use of super muta- gens as research tools in genetics

Use of mutation induction as a genetic research tool; development of assay systems; concern about dangers to the human genome from mutagenic agents in the environment

Discovery that many chemicals in the environment are mutagenic; work on mutagen identification; development and validation of assay systems; study of the relationship between mutagenicity and car- cinogenicity; examination of the concept that all mutagens are carcinogens

Discovery that not all mutagens are carcinogens nor are all carcinogens mutagens; identification of genotoxic and nongenotoxic carcinogens

Concern to protect the human genome from geno- toxic agents; study of the mechanisms of mutation; use of new techniques for in-depth mutant analy- sis: ref inement of assay systems; use of transgenic animals in mutat ion research

Granted, this list is not exhaustive and events have been somewhat subjectively chosen, but scrutiny of the literature published in these inter- vals supports their selection.

The number of papers in the EMIC file pub- lished prior to 1950 through the first quarter of 1991 are shown in Table 1. A review of the contents of these papers reveals several trends. Before 1960, the volume of papers dealing with genetic toxicology increased only nominally. How- ever, primarily for reasons already described, the amount of literature published in the field during the 1960s increased almost tenfold over that pub- lished in the 1950s. This growth continued through the 1970s at a rate of 2000 to 4000 articles per year. During the mid-1970s, the vol- ume of literature reached a plateau, principally because the number of articles being submitted for publication had overwhelmed the page capac- ity of journals accepting manuscripts from the genetic toxicology field. Another reason for this plateau was that journals began rejecting papers that reported only on the routine screening of agents, especially chemicals. Many papers in this

category contained negative test results and. at that time, were considered unworthy of publica- tion.

Over the years, many of the attitudes abottt the types of manuscripts that should be published began to change. New journals began to appear or existing journals were expanded with respect to the number of printed pages or frequency of publication or both. Mutation Research was once again a leader in providing a publication outlet for a variety of different types of manuscripts that reflected the current state of the field. For cxam- plc, the journal was separated into individually bound sections to provide researchers a more convenient means of communicating their work to colleagues and other interested individuals. As a result of these improvements, thc number of articles being published in thc field by the 1980s reached an all-time high, overcoming the mid- 1970s plateau. Also, the keen interest in the relationship between the processes of mutagenc- sis and carcinogenesis and the question of whcther all mutagens are carcinogens stimulated consider- ably the number of papers offered for publica- tion.

By the end of the 1980s, researchers bcgan to realize that genetic toxicology assays could not be used as a quick, inexpensive, and easy means to identify potential human carcinogens. This situa- tion caused great consternation in the field and resulted in a significant decrease in the volume of

TABLE 1

I N T E R V A L OF PUBLICATION BY D E C A D E OF PA- PERS IN THE FIELD OF GENETIC T O X I C O L O G Y ~'

Interval of publication Number of documents collected by EMIC

pre-1950s 208 1950s 493 1960s 4,213 1970s 28,772 1980s 38,648 1990s > 40,000 b

The numbers for the pre-1950s, 1950s, and 1960s are not inclusive. EMIC began its systematic collection of the litera- ture in the late 1960s, and its file is reasonably complete from 1968 forward.

h Projected number.

501

Accession number Authors Title Publication source Publication date Literature type Test object, common classification Test object, specific classification

Tissue culture Agents and Chemical Abstracts Service

Registry Number (CASRN)

Assay system(s) Gene mutations Mitotic or meiotic effects Mitotic or meiotic effects Mitotic or meiotic effects Mitotic or meiotic effects Mitotic or meiotic effects Effects on chromosomes Effects on chromosomes Effects on chromosomes

Inducer and CASRN Cells observed

077618 Warr Tracey J.; Parry, J.M.; Callander, R.D.; Ashby, J. Methyl vinyl sulfone: A new class of Michael-type genotoxin Mutation Research 245:191-199 1990 Journal article with original data Bacteria; Mammal, Chinese hamster cell culture Salmonella typhimurium, TA98, Salmonella typhimurium, TA100, Salmonella typhimurium, TA1535, Salmonella typhimurium, TA1537, Salmonella typhimurium, TA1538; Cricetulus griseus Don-WG3H Cells; LUC2 Lung cells Methyl vinyl sulfone (3680-02-2) Acrylamide (79-0601) Microsomes, rat, $9 (NO CASRN)

Ames test cell cycle progression spindle abnormality-multipolar segregation errors-lagging C-Mitosis mitotic index chromosome number-aneuploidy chromosome number-polyploidy chromosome number-endoreduplication Aroclor (12767-79-2) Somatic cells

Fig. 1. Example of an EMIC indexed record.

papers being published. The mid-1970s and early- to mid-1980s challenge to journals to accommo- date the number of manuscripts offered for publi- cation has passed; the current challenge for many journals is one of acquiring enough papers to fulfill page obligations. Even though the era of the 1980s brought disappointment to many re- searchers, it stimulated the field to look at as- pects other than the mutagenicity vs. carcino- genicity issue.

One need only review the programs of the 1991 annual meeting of the Environmental Muta- gen Society (EMS) held in Orlando, Florida, April 6-11, 1991, and the European Environmental Mutagen Society to be held in Prague, Czechoslo- vakia, in August 1991, to see the change in re- search emphasis. Using, to a large extent, the spin-off benefits that will accrue from efforts to map and sequence the human genome, the field of genetic toxicology should find itself once again

in a state of growth and enthusiasm. From all indications at the recent EMS meeting in Or- lando, it has already begun. In addition, the cur- rent literature is beginning to reflect (1) the ap- plication of new techniques for mutant analysis, (2) the development of novel assay systems for measuring genetic damage in mammals, and (3) new perspectives on the mechanisms of mutation. The current literature situation puts us in mind of a statement made several years ago by Mailing and Valcovic (1978): "The present generation is only the caretaker of the human genome of fu- ture generations." We believe the 1990s will hold a wealth of challenges and advancements for the field as more emphasis is placed on the protec- tion of the human genome from damage and unwarranted change. When the 300th volume of the journal is published, many of these new changes and advancements will be known to us. We expect that EMIC will be there to help con-

51)2

tend with the new information by providing ready access to the literature in the field. Some things change; some things remain the same.

References

Mailing, H.V., and L.R. Valcovic (1978) New approaches to detecting gene mutation in mammals, in: W.G. Flamm and

M.A. Mehlman (Eds.), Advances in Modern Ioxicology, Vol. 5, tlalsted. New York, pp. 149-171.

Wassom, J.S. (1973)The literature of chemic~d mutagenesis, in: A. Hollaender (Ed.), Chemical Mutagens, Principles and Methods for their Detection, Vol. Ill. Plenum, New York. pp. 271-287.