Differential Sensitivity of Tomato Genes to Chemical and Physical Mutagens

Hydrazine, hydroxylamine, ethyl methane sulphonate and gamma rays were tested for their mutagenic effects on the genes of tomato.

Hydrazine and hydroxylamine showed marked differences for rates and spectrum of induced mutations at specific loci. Some of the mutations were induced exclusively by only one or the other of the mutagens. Ethyl methane sulphonate corresponded to hydrazine and gamma rays were found to be random in inducing mutations. While gamma rays gave highest frequency of lethals, ethyl methane sulphonate showed highest chlorophyll mutations.

Although it is not possible to offer a satisfactory explanation for the observed differences in the rate and spectrum of induced mutations by hydrazine and hydroxylamine, the findings do suggest the existence of mutagen specificity in tomato.