The mutagenicity of azido derivatives of monosaccharides and alcohols and of N-(3-azido-2-hydroxypropyl) derivatives of purines and pyrimidines in Arabidopsis thaliana and in Salmonella typhimurium.

The azido derivatives of alcohols (3-azido-1,2-propandiol and 1,3-diazido-2-propanol) and monosaccharides (6-azido-6-deoxy-beta-D-glucose and 6-azido-6-deoxy-beta-D-galactose), as well as the proximal mutagenic product of sodium azide metabolism beta-azido-L-alanine, exhibited a high mutagenic activity in a higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana and in Salmonella typhimurium. In contrast, 11 N-(3-azido-2-hydroxypropyl) derivatives of purines and pyrimidines (adenine, thymine, uracil, cytosine, 2-amino-6-chloropurine, 6-chloropurine, 2,6-diaminopurine, 6-methylthiopurine, 4-O-methylthymine, 4-O-methyluracil and 7-deaza-8-azaadenine) were mutagenic in the Ames assay but ineffective in the Arabidopsis mutagenicity assay.