We have observed quantitative and qualitative differences in the mutability and mutagen-specificity of various drug-resistance marker loci in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, which suggest that mammalian gene loci may differ in their relative mutability by a given mutagenic agent. We have used the CHO-AT3-2 multiple-marker mutagenesis assay system to examine the dose-dependent induction and kinetics of expression of mutations at four well-characterized, drug-resistance marker loci, after treatment with chemical agents which produce various types of DNA damage. The CHO-AT3-2 subline allows simultaneous quantitation and direct comparison of induced mutation frequencies at the hgprt, oua (Na+/K+ ATPase), aprt, and tk loci. The agents tested in this study included ethyl methanesulfonate, methyl methanesulfonate, mitomycin C, ICR-191, benzo[a]pyrene, and dimethylnitrosamine. The expression kinetics and optimal expression times for each drug-resistance marker were determined in dose-response experiments in which cells from mutagen-treated populations were plated at 1-2-day intervals over a period of 10 days following mutagenesis. Comparison of induced mutation frequencies for each drug-resistance marker after mutagen treatments yielding equivalent cell survivals (equitoxic doses resulting in relative cell survivals of 0.37) revealed locus-specific differences in the relative mutagenicities of the agents tested. These results indicate that the apparent mutagenicity of a particular agent at a single genetic locus may not necessarily be an accurate indicator of that agent's mutagenic potential for the genome as a whole.