SUMMARY

Forty-one carcinogens and four noncarcinogens is-crc tested for mutagenic activity and the kinds of mutational events produced by the active compounds in bacteriophage T4. Twensty-five carcinogens, including matmy hydrocarbons, is-crc presumed to have no mutagenic ac-tivity because they were not toxic to Escherichia coli BB or to T4 phage. Four carcinogenic inorganic salts and five chemical carcinogens (N-hydroxy-1-naphthylamine, V-hydroxy-2-naphthylamine, N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene, lO-formyl- 1, 2-benzanthraceime, and uL-ethionine) were toxic but not mutagenic to intracellular T4 phage. One compound of definite but low chemical reactivity (the glucuronide of N-hydroxy-2-acetylamimsofluoremme) is-as not mutagenic by direct treatment of T4 phage. Six chemically more reactive carcinsogens (8-propiolactone, propane sultone, N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorense and its 7-fluoro deriva-tive, glycidaldehyde, and nitrogen mustard) were mutagenmic to T4 phage. Time types of mutations induced by each compound is-crc determiimed. The possible relationship betw-eenm carcinogenesis and mutagenesis is discussed