N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and hydroxylamine induced mutants of the rII region of phage T4

rII mutations of bacteriophage T4 were induced by in vivo treatment with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NG) and in vitro treatment with hydroxylamine (HA). All the NG induced mutations were mappable to small segments of the rIIA cistron and all except one were also highly revertible by 2-aminopurine (AP) treatment. From these observations, it is concluded that treatment of T4 with NG induces only transitions and contrary to its effects on E. coli, in T4, NG does not induce any deletions. Spectra of HA and NG induced mutants of the rIIA cistron were compared. Both mutagens seem to be more effective in inducing mutations nearer the two extremities of this cistron and very few in the middle. This asymmetric effect has been seen to be more pronounced in case of NG than in the case of HA.