Ethylmethane sulfonate

Figure 4.3 Chromatogram of a standard solution containing 0.04 jtg/ml each of isopropyhnethane sulfonate (1P MS), methylmethane sulfonate (M MS) and ethylmethane sulfonate (E MS). Reproduced from [13] with permission from Elsevier.

By chemically reacting with nitrogen and oxygen atoms in DNA, these compounds can modify bases in DNA so as to distort the normal pattern of base pairing. If these modified nucleotides are not repaired, they allow an Incorrect nucleotide to be incorporated during replication. This type of carcinogen includes ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS), dimethyl sulfate (DMS), and nitrogen mustards. 

Lubet RA, McGarvill JT, Putnam DL, Schwartz JL, Schechtman LM (1980) Effect of 3-aminobenzamide on induction of toxicity and transformation by ethylmethane sulfonate and methyl cholanthenein BALB/3T3 cells. Carcinogenesis 5 459-462... 

Exposure of these cells to low levels of deoxycoformycin resulted in death of the culture. Resistant clones appeared at a frequency of about 10 . This frequency was enhanced 10-20 times by prior treatment of the culture with the mutagen ethylmethane sulfonate (6). 

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