[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fxLN3MUwXCdr5RPjwZYIDpOj8CHyjOmngWTgoKXPtZbg":3,"$f_kWM7kaiQbobTJ1XIyBOmpt7FIhU0qov3J6hmF7J6kY":32,"$f3Ft0rKFJHppdzE-vuveecxx1BUcg9iOlMLtyzf_MJDg":47},[4,8,12,16,20,24,28],{"title":5,"slug":6,"path":7},"About Microbeonline.com","about-microbeonline-com","\u002Fabout-microbeonline-com\u002F",{"title":9,"slug":10,"path":11},"About Me","about-me","\u002Fabout-microbeonline-com\u002Fabout-me\u002F",{"title":13,"slug":14,"path":15},"Advertise with Us","advertise-us","\u002Fadvertise-us\u002F",{"title":17,"slug":18,"path":19},"Privacy Policy","privacy-policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{"title":21,"slug":22,"path":23},"Abbreviations","abbreviations","\u002Fabbreviations\u002F",{"title":25,"slug":26,"path":27},"Microbes","microbes","\u002Fmicrobes\u002F",{"title":29,"slug":30,"path":31},"Books","recommended-books","\u002Frecommended-books\u002F",{"type":33,"data":34},"blog",{"slug":35,"title":36,"description":36,"seoTitle":37,"seoDescription":37,"author":38,"createdDate":39,"lastUpdatedDate":40,"draft":41,"category":42,"image":37,"body":43,"faq":44,"tags":45,"related":46},"ames-test-mutagenicity-carcinogens","Ames Test: Mutagenicity Test for Carcinogens",null,"Acharya Tankeshwar","2019-11-14","2026-07-05",false,"general-microbiology","Ames test, devised by scientist “Bruce Ames” and colleagues at the University of California in Berkeley, is a method for evaluating the mutagenic effects of chemicals, drugs, or implant devices. This test is used to assess the potential carcinogenic effect of chemicals by using histidine auxotrophs of *Salmonella typhimurium* *(which lacks the ability to biosynthesis histidine because of amutationin an essential gene)* or tryptophan auxotrophs of [Escherichia coli.](\u002Fe-coli-disease-properties-pathogenesis-and-laboratory-diagnosis\u002F)\n\n> Not every mutagen is also a carcinogen BUT many mutagenic chemicals are also carcinogenic (capable of causing cancer in humans or other animals), knowing that a compound is mutagenic to bacteria is a warning of possible danger.\n\nMutant *Salmonella* strains cannot grow and form colonies in a medium lacking histidine. When these mutant bacterial cells are treated with chemicals having mutagenic effects, those chemicals may cause a reversal of mutation in bacterial cells enabling them to grow on a media lacking in histidine. Chemicals found to be mutagenic in Ames test can be tested for their potential to induce carcinogenic effects in animals.\n\n## Principle\n\nHistidine auxotrophs of *Salmonella* *typhimurium* are spread on the surface of a culture media lacking histidine in the presence of the suspected mutagen. As the medium does not contain an essential nutrient, histidine in this case, auxotrophic\u002Fmutant strains cannot grow, even if a very large population of cells is spread on the medium. However, if a particular bacterial strain could revert to wild type (known as back mutants or revertants), they will grow and form colonies. If the reversion rate is increased in the presence of suspected mutagen (with the evidence of the appearance of more colonies in the presence of suspected mutagen) presence of mutagenicity in the test chemical is confirmed. The higher the number of such colonies, the higher the mutagenic potential of the suspected mutagen.\n\nCompounds identified as mutagenic in the Ames test are further tested for their potential carcinogenic properties by using animal models.\n\nAmes test can be carried out using tryptophan auxotrophs of *Escherichia coli,* but in that case, in a medium lacking amino acid, tryptophan should be used.\n\n## Procedure\n\n![ - Ames Test Procedure](https:\u002F\u002Fassets.microbeonline.com\u002Fblogs\u002FAmes-Test-Protocol.gif)Figure: Ames Test Procedure\n\n1. Inoculate a single fresh colony of standard strains of Salmonella typhimurium in nutrient broth and incubate for 10-12 hours at 37°C.\n2. Prepare different concentrations of the test compound and *activate it* using enzymes from rat liver\\*.\n3. Prepare minimal glucose agar (MGA) plates and label them before use.\n4. Spread the nutrient broth (from 1) across the minimal glucose agar plates using an L-shaped glass spreader.\n5. Dispense the activated complex in a paper disc placed on the center of the minimal glucose agar plates. Instead of activated complex, distilled water is dispensed over the paper disc for negative control.\n6. Cover the Petri plates with sterile aluminum foil to protect the testing sample from photoreactive substances.\n7. Incubate the plate at 37°C for 24\u002F48 hours.\n8. Observe the development of bacterial colonies around the paper disc in the test and control agar plates and compare them.\n\n> Note: Many carcinogens in their natural\u002Finactive forms are not carcinogenic or mutagenic, but undergo modifications in the liver by the liver enzymes (called mixed function oxygenases) that convert them into active substances. Activated forms of these compounds are highly reactive and thus mutagenic toward DNA.  So, liver enzyme preparation is added in the Ames test to mimic liver metabolism.\n\n### Uses\n\n- Detection and screening potentially hazardous (mutagenic\u002Fcarcinogenic) chemicals in the environment, food, or drugs.\n- Commonly used by the pharmaceutical industry to test various drugs and chemicals before using them for clinical trials.\n\n**References and further reading**\n\n- Bio-protocol: [Microbial Mutagenicity Assay: Ames Test](https:\u002F\u002Fbio-protocol.org\u002Fe2763#biaoti22201)",[],[],[],[48,54,61,66,70,74,79,84,88,92],{"slug":49,"name":38,"description":50,"image":51,"body":52,"postCount":53},"acharya-tankeshwar","Editor-in-chief","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.microbeonline.com\u002Fauthors\u002Ftankeshwar-acharya-author-microbeonline.jpg","***Tankeshwar Acharya, MSc (Medical Microbiology)***\n\n*Tankeshwar Acharya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), Nepal, where he has been teaching and practicing clinical microbiology for over 14 years. He is the founder of Microbe Online, one of the leading free microbiology education resources on the web, covering bacteriology, mycology, parasitology, immunology, and clinical laboratory diagnostics written from direct experience in both the classroom and the diagnostic laboratory.*",433,{"slug":55,"name":56,"description":57,"image":58,"body":59,"postCount":60},"ashma-shrestha","Ashma Shrestha","SEO Copywriter and Science Communicator\nKathmandu, Nepal","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.microbeonline.com\u002Fauthors\u002Fashma-shrestha.png","Ashma Shrestha holds a Master of Science in Medical Microbiology from the Institute of Science and Technology (IOST), Tribhuvan University, Nepal, where she developed a strong foundation in virology, molecular biology, and diagnostic microbiology.\n\nShe now works as an SEO Copywriter at Resolution Digital, where she combines her scientific training with research-driven content strategy. She is certified in Google Analytics and Google Business Profile (GBP), and brings a data-informed approach to science communication writing content that is not only accurate but structured to reach and serve the students who need it most.\n\nAt microbeonline, Ashma contributes articles primarily in virology and molecular biology, areas she finds most compelling for their mechanistic depth and their growing clinical relevance. Her writing reflects the same standard the site is built on: factual rigor, clear explanation of the *why* behind microbiology concepts, and content that helps students move from memorization to genuine understanding.\n\nShe is passionate about making complex microbiological concepts accessible without sacrificing accuracy; a skill that sits at the intersection of her scientific training and her professional work in content and SEO.",81,{"slug":62,"name":63,"description":64,"image":37,"body":37,"postCount":65},"sushmita-baniya","Sushmita Baniya","Author \u002F Contributor",32,{"slug":67,"name":68,"description":64,"image":37,"body":37,"postCount":69},"samikshya-acharya","Samikshya Acharya",20,{"slug":71,"name":72,"description":64,"image":37,"body":37,"postCount":73},"alisha-tripathi","Alisha Tripathi",6,{"slug":75,"name":76,"description":77,"image":37,"body":37,"postCount":78},"aastha-shrestha","Aastha Shrestha"," Author \u002F Contributor",10,{"slug":80,"name":81,"description":82,"image":37,"body":37,"postCount":83},"guest-author","Guest Author","Guest Author \u002F Contributor",2,{"slug":85,"name":86,"description":64,"image":37,"body":37,"postCount":87},"srijana-khanal","Srijana Khanal",18,{"slug":89,"name":90,"description":82,"image":37,"body":37,"postCount":91},"dr-poonam-acharya","Dr. Poonam Acharya",1,{"slug":93,"name":94,"description":64,"image":37,"body":95,"postCount":96},"nisha-rijal","Nisha Rijal","**Nisha Rijal** is a microbiologist and quality assurance specialist. She served for nearly 12 years as a microbiologist at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), Nepal's national reference laboratory, and continues to work as a consultant microbiologist in international public health organization. ",51]