Abstract
AFLATOXIN, the generic name for a mixture of metabolites of certain strains of Aspergillus flavus, is acutely hepatotoxic and among the most potent rat liver carcinogens known1,2. The B1 form (Fig. 1) is the most abundant and most biologically active component3. In vivo studies in mammalian cells and in bacteria have shown that afiatoxin inhibits DNA4,5, RNA6–8and protein1,7,9 synthesis between 50 and 90 per cent. Spectrophotometry and equilibrium dialysis show that it can bind to bihelical and single-stranded DNA6–9 and its high toxicity and carcinogenicity are considered to be correlated with such interaction with DNA.
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MAHER, V., SUMMERS, W. Mutagenic Action of Aflatoxin B1 on Transforming DNA and Inhibition of DNA Template Activity in vitro. Nature 225, 68–70 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/225068a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/225068a0
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