Quantitation of induced mutation in Dictyostelium discoideum: characterization and use of a methanol-resistance mutation assay.

TLDR: An assay based on forward mutation of Dictyostelium discoideum to 3% methanol resistance allows quantitation of induced mutation following treatment with physical and chemical agents and achieves plateau in the number of mutants as a function of expression time.

Abstract: An assay based on forward mutation of Dictyostelium discoideum to 3% methanol resistance allows quantitation of induced mutation following treatment with physical and chemical agents. Properties of this assay are: uniform recovery of methanol-resistant (MeOH r ) cells over a wide range of plated cell densities, equal growth rates of methanol-sensitive and methanol-resistant cells in the absence of methanol during the expression period and the attainment of plateau in the number of mutants as a function of expression time. When 4 mutagens were tested with this system and compared at the 10% survival level, N -methyl- N ′-nitrosoguanidine was the most effective for mutation induction, followed by 60 Co-γ-rays, ultraviolet light, and methyl methanesulfonate.