Studies on a new mutagen produced by fusarium moniliforme isolated in Linxian County

A new mutagen, Fusarin C has been recently isolated and identified from corn meal inoculated with Fusarium moniliforme, one of the most common fungus pollutant of corn in Linxian County, a high-risk area of esophageal cancer. Fusarin C significantly induced sister chromatid exchange (SCE), micronucleus increase, chromosome aberrations, and 6-thioguanine resistant mutants in V 79 cells in the presence of microsomal preparations. Fusarin C also induced 6-thioguanine resistant mutants in V 79 cells cocultured with primary rat liver cells. The toxic action of Fusarin C on V 79 cells was much stronger in the absence of the microsomal preparations. However, Fusarin C did not show, at the highest concentration, any significant mutagenic or chromosomal damage on V 79 cells without the addition of the metabolic activation system. The possible relationship between the consumption of corn contaminated with Fusarium moniliforme and the etiology of esophageal cancer is discussed.