Table 1 Mutational signatures assigned to IARC Group 1 carcinogen exposures

From: Base changes in tumour DNA have the power to reveal the causes and evolution of cancer

Name

Exposure

Group 1 carcinogen

Chemical class

Characteristic pre-mutagenic DNA lesion

Signature hallmarks

Prominent trinucleotide target in the signature

Signature 4

Tobacco smoke

Benzo[a]pyrene

PAH

(+)benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide-dG adduct

G to T GG to TT tandem mutations

Transcriptional strand bias

GGGGGA

Signature 7

Sunlight

Ultraviolet light

NA

Py-Py photodimers

C to T at dipyrimidines

CC to TT tandem mutations

Transcriptional strand bias

TCC

Signature 11

Chemotherapy

Temozolomide

Alkylating agent

O6-methylguanine

G to A

Transcriptional strand bias

GGGGGA

Signature 22

Dietary contaminant (grain); herbal medicine

Aristolochic acid

Plant alkaloid

7-(deoxyadenosin-N(6)-yl) aristolactam I adduct

A to T

Transcriptional strand bias

CAG

Signature 24

Dietary contaminant (groundnuts)

Aflatoxins

Fungal toxin

8,9-dihydro-8-(N7-guanyl)-9-hydroxyaflatoxin B1 adduct

G to T

Transcriptional strand bias

GGC

Signature 29

Tobacco chewing

Unspecified

Unspecified

Unspecified

G to T

Transcriptional strand bias

TGCGGCTGT

  1. Abbreviations: IARC, International Agency for Research on Cancer; NA, not applicable; PAH, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon; Py, pyrimidine.
  2. Group 1 refers to the IARC classification of substances for which there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity to humans. The third column lists sources of exposure with documented links to cancer risk. Bases and context sequence are shown to reflect the base targeted by the mutagen (for example, as 5′-GGA-3′ for B[a]P, but as 5′-TCC-3′ for UV). The targeted base in its preferred sequence context is underlined in the last column. The targeted trinucleotides in the last column are extracted from signature analysis of human tumours; analysis of experimental models with single, controlled exposures recapitulates major features from the human data (Figure 2).