Mycotoxin induction of somatic mosaicism in Drosophila and DNA repair in mammalian liver cell cultures.

The genotoxic activity of four mycotoxins has been studied. A high level of somatic mutagenesis in imaginal disk of Drosophila melanogaster larvae and DNA repair synthesis in human embryo and adult rat liver cells cultures was induced only by the strong carcinogen aflatoxin B1. Patulin somewhat elevated the level of somatic mutations in D. melanogaster, but did not elicit DNA repair synthesis. Citrinin and stachybotryotoxin were inactive in both systems.