Errors in DNA synthesis induced by aflatoxin B1 modification of poly(dC-dG).

Aflatoxin B1 reacts with poly(dC-dG) to form guanine adducts and apurinic sites. Such modification strongly inhibits the template capacity of the polynucleotide and leads to an increase in non-complementary nucleotide incorporation. The template inhibition and induced errors are reduced by mild heat depurination which removes all 7-substituted modifications.