Tags: Chemical Compound, Chemical Substance.
N-Nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU) is a highly reliable carcinogen mutagen and teratogen. NMU is an alkylating agent and exhibits its toxicity by transferring its methyl group to nucleobases in nucleic acids which can lead to AT:GC transition mutations.NMU is the traditional precursor in the synthesis of diazomethane. However since it is unstable at temperatures beyond 20 °C and shock-sensitive to a degree for this purpose it has become obsolete and replaced by other (N-methyl)nitrosamides.
