Mutagenic or DNA-modifying activities of N-alkyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

The DNA-modifying and mutagenic activities of N-alkyl homologues of MNNG were investigated by repair tests and mutation tests. All the derivatives tested (i.e., N-methyl-, N-ethyl-, N-propyl-, N-n-butyl-, N-iso-butyl-, N-pentyl- and N-hexyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidines) showed DNA modifying and mutagenic activities. In repair test, the ethyl derivative showed the greatest activity on Xs strain. Results in repair test indicated that MNNG might produce X-ray type damage of DNA while homologue with an ethyl substituted or longer chain length might produce UV-type damage in addition to X-ray type damage of DNA.