Nitroreductase-dependent mutagens

Figure 10 shows that stored Meuse River water also contains nitroreductase-dependent mutagens (see TA98). This finding indicates... 

Corbett, M. D., C. Wei and B. R. Corbett. 1985. Nitroreductase-dependent mutagenicity ofp-nitrophenyl-hydroxylamine and its N-acetyl and N-formyl hydroxamic acids. Carcinogenesis 6 727-732. 

Many nitro-PAHs are mutagenic to bacteria and mammalian cells and are a potential carcinogenic risk to humans (40). The genotoxic activity of many nitro-PAHs is dependent upon the reduction of the nitro group to A-arylhydroxylamines by either mammalian or bacterial nitroreductases (3, 54, 76). Nitro reduction can occur as a series of two-electron transfers which yield the nitroso, hydroxyl amino, and amino derivatives of the parent... 

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