What is methylmethane sulfonate, and what does it do?

Question

What is methylmethane sulfonate, and what does it do?

Answer 1

Methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) is an alkylating agent and a carcinogen. It is also a suspected reproductive toxicant, and may also be a skin/sense organ toxicant. It is used in cancer treatment

MMS methylates DNA on N7-deoxyguanine and N3-deoxyadenine. Originally, this action was believed to directly cause double-stranded DNA breaks, because homologous recombination-deficient cells are particularly vulnerable to the effects of MMS. However, it is now believed that MMS stalls replication forks, and cells that are homologous recombination-deficient have difficulty repairing the damaged replication forks.

Answer 2

Methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) is an alkylating agent and a carcinogen. It is also a suspected reproductive toxicant, and may also be a skin/sense organ toxicant. It is used in cancer treatment.

Methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) is a colorless liquid that is strongly irritating on inhalation or ingestion. It forms highly corrosive compounds in the presence of water. MMS is toxic in animals and humans and is carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic in rodents. Its main uses are as a solvent catalyst in polymerization,

alkylation, and esterification reactions and in cancer chemotherapy research.