Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Overview of DNA Repair02:25

Overview of DNA Repair

In order to be passed through generations, genomic DNA must be undamaged and error-free. However, every day, DNA in a cell undergoes several thousand to a million damaging events by natural causes and external factors. Ionizing radiation such as UV rays, free radicals produced during cellular respiration, and hydrolytic damage from metabolic reactions can alter the structure of DNA. Damages caused include single-base alteration, base dimerization, chain breaks, and cross-linkage.
Chemically...
Overview of DNA Repair02:25

Overview of DNA Repair

In order to be passed through generations, genomic DNA must be undamaged and error-free. However, every day, DNA in a cell undergoes several thousand to a million damaging events by natural causes and external factors. Ionizing radiation such as UV rays, free radicals produced during cellular respiration, and hydrolytic damage from metabolic reactions can alter the structure of DNA. Damages caused include single-base alteration, base dimerization, chain breaks, and cross-linkage.
Chemically...
Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity01:25

Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity

Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity refer to the ability of drugs to cause genetic defects and induce cancer, respectively. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies agents into four groups based on their carcinogenic potential. Group 1 agents are known human carcinogens; group 2A agents are probably carcinogenic to humans; group 3 agents lack data to support their role in carcinogenesis; and group 4 includes agents for which data support that they are not likely to be...
Mutations01:35

Mutations

Mutations are changes in the sequence of DNA. These changes can occur spontaneously or they can be induced by exposure to environmental factors. Mutations can be characterized in a number of different ways: whether and how they alter the amino acid sequence of the protein, whether they occur over a small or large area of DNA, and whether they occur in somatic cells or germline cells.
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Mutations01:39

Mutations

Overview
Nucleotide Excision Repair01:38

Nucleotide Excision Repair

DNA Distortion and Damage
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Mutational signatures of environmental carcinogens in human tissue organoids revealed by duplex sequencing.

Cell reports·2026
Same author

<sup>32</sup>P-Postlabeling Analysis of DNA Adducts.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2025
Same author

Organoids for Genotoxicity Assessment.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2025
Same author

IARC Workshop on the Key Characteristics of Carcinogens: Assessment of End Points for Evaluating Mechanistic Evidence of Carcinogenic Hazards.

Environmental health perspectives·2025
Same author

Implementing Mutational Epidemiology on a Global Scale: Lessons from Mutographs.

Cancer discovery·2025
Same author

Genome-modified Caenorhabditis elegans expressing the human cytochrome P450 (CYP1A1 and CYP1A2) pathway: An experimental model for environmental carcinogenesis and pharmacological research.

Environment international·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Quantification of three DNA Lesions by Mass Spectrometry and Assessment of Their Levels in Tissues of Mice Exposed to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter
12:15

Quantification of three DNA Lesions by Mass Spectrometry and Assessment of Their Levels in Tissues of Mice Exposed to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter

Published on: May 29, 2019

Genotoxicity: damage to DNA and its consequences.

David H Phillips1, Volker M Arlt

  • 1Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, United Kingdom. david.phillips@icr.ac.uk

EXS
|January 23, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Genotoxins damage DNA, potentially causing heritable mutations or cancer. Various tests detect this damage, aiding in safety evaluations and understanding carcinogen mechanisms.

Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Genotoxins are agents causing DNA or chromosomal damage.
  • Damage in germ cells can lead to heritable mutations, while somatic cell damage may cause cancer.
  • Numerous in vitro and in vivo assays detect genotoxicity in various cell types.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review methods for detecting genotoxicity and DNA adducts.
  • To highlight the role of genotoxicity testing in safety evaluation of chemicals and products.
  • To explore the link between genotoxins, DNA adducts, and human cancer etiology.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing a range of in vitro and in vivo tests to detect DNA damage and its consequences.
  • Employing sensitive techniques to detect and characterize DNA adducts in cells and human tissues.

More Related Videos

Proximity Ligand Assay to Localize Proteins in DNA Damage Sites
09:39

Proximity Ligand Assay to Localize Proteins in DNA Damage Sites

Published on: August 2, 2024

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage
10:59

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage

Published on: August 21, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Quantification of three DNA Lesions by Mass Spectrometry and Assessment of Their Levels in Tissues of Mice Exposed to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter
12:15

Quantification of three DNA Lesions by Mass Spectrometry and Assessment of Their Levels in Tissues of Mice Exposed to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter

Published on: May 29, 2019

Proximity Ligand Assay to Localize Proteins in DNA Damage Sites
09:39

Proximity Ligand Assay to Localize Proteins in DNA Damage Sites

Published on: August 2, 2024

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage
10:59

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage

Published on: August 21, 2021

  • Analyzing gene mutations in human tumors and comparing them with known genotoxin profiles.

    • Main Results:

    • Genotoxicity assays are crucial for evaluating chemical and product safety.
    • Metabolic activation of carcinogens can lead to DNA adducts, detectable in human tissues.
    • Characterizing DNA adducts and mutations provides insights into cancer causes.

    Conclusions:

    • Genotoxicity testing is essential for public health and environmental safety.
    • Understanding DNA adducts and mutations aids in identifying environmental mutagens' role in cancer.
    • Further research into genotoxin mechanisms can illuminate cancer etiology.