Fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)), a widespread Fusarium toxin which is frequently found in corn, causes liver tumors in laboratory rodents and is a suspected human carcinogen. The compound was tested in micronucleus (MN) and single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assays in human derived hepatoma (HepG2) cells and caused a pronounced dose-dependent genotoxic effect at exposure concentrations > or = 25 microg/ml. In contrast, no induction of his(+) revertants was found in Salmonella microsome assays with strains TA98, TA100, TA102, TA1535 and TA1537 upon addition of HepG2-derived enzyme (S9) mix in liquid incubation assays with identical exposure concentrations. Taken together, our results indicate that FB(1) is clastogenic in human derived cells. This observation supports the assumption that this compound may act as a genotoxic carcinogen in humans.