Storage effect in barley changes in the amount of DNA lesions induced by methyl and ethyl methanesulphonates

Impact of seed moisture on efficiency of propane sultone mutagenesis.

“…There was, however, a decrease in toxic and mutagenic effects of PS in seeds stored with 30% moisture content. The enhancement of biological damage in seeds redried to 15-20% miosture as observed presently may be attributed to the action of residual mutagen and initation of secondary processes like depurination, breakage of phosphate deoxyribose bonds or realkylation from phosphates to purines (Gichner and Ehrenberg 1966, Gichner and Veleminsky 1973. Recovery from damage during storage of seeds with 30 % seed moisture content can be explained to be due to high metabolic activity and initiation of repair process Gaul 1971, Gichner et al 1971).…”

A mutation and a genetic study in Cucurbita pepo L

“…Generally, redrying of treated seeds and storing them at room temperature reduces their viability to zero in only a few days. If the seeds are not redried, there appears to be an enzyme system present in the seeds which degrades alkylating agents (37)» Veleminsky, et al (70) suggest the loss of viability could be due to depurination and/or breakage in the phosphate backbone. While other investigators (38) believe redrying increases the ratio of mutagen to water in the seed, the toxic effect of the mutagen would result in a loss of seed viability.…”