Mutagenic effectiveness of ethyl methanesulphonate and methyl methanesulphonate in barley

Abstract

THE monofunctional alkylating agent ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) has been shown to be capable of producing mutations in more than one-half of the spikes of treated barley plants1,2. Smaller mutation frequencies (7.8 per cent, 16 per cent) have been reported for populations treated with methyl methanesulphonate (MMS). We wished to compare, under similar conditions, the mutagenic efficiency of EMS (CH3SO3C2H5) with that of MMS (CH3SO3CH3). Since MMS is rather highly toxic to plants we were forced to use, in this comparative study, low concentrations of the chemicals and short exposure periods. © 1962 Nature Publishing Group.