Transplacental genetic and cytogenetic effects of alkylating agents in the mouse. I: Induction of somatic coat color mutations

Abstract
Induction of somatic coat color mutations by the alkylating agents ENU, MNU, EMS, MMS, DES, DMS, and trenimon and by the tuberculostatic drug INH was investigated in the mammalian spot test. Positive results were obtained with EMS (100 mg/kg), ENU (20–60 mg/kg), and INH (100 mg/kg), while trenimon (100 μg/kg), DES (225 mg/kg), and MNU (2 mg/kg) yielded inconclusive data. No mutagenic activity was found for MMS (125 mg/kg) and DMS (50 mg/kg). The mutagenic potency of monofunctional alkylating agents at subtoxic doses decreases as follows ENU > EMS > DES > MMS = DMS. The hypothesis that somatic coat color mutations in the mouse are predominantly due to intragenic changes is discussed. Differences in the RS frequency between offspring of the crosses NMRI × DBA and C57 × T are due to differences in loci available for mutation induction. Mutations that uncover the recessive allele p contribute to a significant extent to the total RS frequency observed in the mammalian spot test.

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