The Ames Reverse Mutations Assay is widely used for identifying mutagenic activity of chemical agents or medical devices. It is one of the genotoxicity tests required by regulatory agencies, which evaluates the carcinogenic potential of a compound.
The bacterial reverse mutation assay uses known standard strains of Salmonella typhimurium and Eschericahia coli to detect point mutations, which involve substitutions, additions or deletions of one or a few DNA pairs. The revertant bacteria are detected by their ability to grow in the absence of a required amino acid, which is required by the parent test strain. The mutation restores the capability of the bacteria to synthesize the essential amino acid. The compounds are evaluated in cultures with and without a mixture of enzymes which may convert the compound into metabolites.
This GLP assay uses five stains with and without the metabolic activation, and it is required by regulatory agencies for IND and NDA approval.
To learn more about the guidelines MicaGenix follows for this assay, visit http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/18/31/1948418.pdf
