Mutagenic and recombinogenic activity of hydrazine sulphate in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Treatment of diploid cells of S. cerevisiae with 0.1 and 0.2 M hydrazine sulphate induced reverse mutation, mitotic crossing-over and gene conversion at exposures ranging over 4 orders of magnitude. The percentage of induced mitotic cross-overs and total aberrant colonies as well as the frequencies of revertants and convertants were dependent on the concentration used and the duration of treatment. These genetic events are induced without post-treatment cell division and at exposures which cause a minimal level of cell death.