Methyl methanesulfonate (MMS)-sensitive mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae belonging to four different complementation groups, when homozygous, increase the rate of spontaneous mitotic segregation to canavanine resistance from heterozygous sensitive (can^r/+) diploids by 13- to 170-fold. The mms8—1 mutant is MMS and X-ray sensitive and increases the rate of spontaneous mitotic segregation 170-fold. The mms9—1 and mms13—1 mutants are sensitive to X rays and UV, respectively, in addition to MMS, and increase the rate of spontaneous mitotic segregation by 13-fold and 85-fold, respectively. The mutant mms21—1 is sensitive to MMS, X rays and UV and increases the rate of spontaneous mitotic segregation 23-fold.