The nitro group of nitropyrenes is required for mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium. 1-Nitropyrene and 1,3-dinitropyrene are reduced by the 'classical' nitroreductase, which involves a single electron transfer, while the reduction of the first nitro group of 1,6- and 1,8-dinitropyrene proceeds by a two-electron transfer mechanism and involves a different enzyme. However, reduction of the second nitro group, which is not necessary for the mutagenicity of nitropyrenes but is required for the mutagenicity of aminonitropyrenes, is catalyzed by the 'classical' nitroreductase.