In recent years the nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitroPAH's) have been recognized as powerful mutagens in the Ames Salmonella test. Most nitroPAH’s are direct-acting mutagens in the Ames test i.e. they induce mutation in the absence of S9, and appear to be activated through nitroreduction by bacterial enzymes. Others, however, such as 3-nitroperylene, are indirect-acting mutagens and show maximum activity only when S9 is present. Studies using the Ames test have indicated that the cytochrome P-450-dependent mixed function oxidase system of S9 is responsible for the activation of 3-nitroperylene to mutagenic species. However, the pattern of P-450 isozymes involved in this process appears to be different from that involved in the conversion of most PAH's, such as the standard indirect-acting mutagen benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), to proximate mutagens. 6-NitroB(a)P, in contrast, behaves in an analogous manner to its parent hydrocarbon. Using appropriate Salmonella mutants, the activation of 3-nitroperylene was found to require bacterial involvement, although the nature of the bacterial contribution has yet to be determined. Studies with other mutants have indicated that nitroreduction, at least as a primary activation step, does not appear to be important. Incubation of 3-nitroperylene with high concentrations of S9 led to the formation of a number of metabolites, of which phenolic derivatives were prominent. In addition, S9-derived microsomes were able to catalyse the conversion of 3-nitroperylene to species which were able to bind to protein and DNA. Under the conditions employed in these binding studies, 3-nitroperylene appears to be acting like a simple PAH, and such experiments with very high concentrations of liver protein may be unrepresentative of the processes responsible for the mutagenesis of the compound. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)