Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Formation of Covalent DNA Adducts by Enzymatically Activated Carcinogens and Drugs In Vitro and Their Determination by 32P-postlabeling
Published on: March 20, 2018
Fecapentaene-12 causes DNA damage and mutations in human cells
Abstract:
Fecapentaenes are mutagens found in human feces and may play a role in the pathogenesis of colon carcinoma. However, the genotoxic effects of fecapentaenes have not been previously studied in mammalian cells. We now report that fecapentaene-12 (fec-12), a prototype for these compounds, causes DNA single strand breaks, sister chromatid exchanges and mutations in cultured human fibroblasts. These results indicate that fec-12 is a potent genotoxic agent in human cells.
Related Concept Videos
Nucleotide Excision Repair
Mutations
Mutations
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Nucleotide Excision Repair
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...
Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity
Spontaneous and Induced Mutations

