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Melanomas are highly clonogenic. Genetic variability and polymorphism of tumour cell populations have been reported. However, no direct evidence of imitator activity as a source of genetic polymorphism for melanoma cells has been described. Some intermediates of melanin synthesis are cytotoxic and genotoxic and their mutagenic power has been described. We show here that the rate of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) of the line of human melanoma cells used varies with the concentration of the melanin precursor L-tyrosine, in the culture medium. An increase of melanin synthesis results in increased SCE rates. The highest values of SCEs are found in melanotic melanoma cells compared with the amelanotic ones. Indeed we present evidence that melanoma cells show higher levels of SCE when compared with normal human lymphocytes, and to the SCE frequencies derived from the literature on the lymphocytes of familial malignant melanoma, sporadic malignant melanoma patients and the lymphocytes of relatives of familial and sporadic melanoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]