Clastogen

A clastogen is a toxin, which causes chromosome aberrations go through breakage of a chromosome or induced, lost by the part of a chromosome or added to another, or the pieces can be rearranged.

This process can be a form of mutagenesis are understood and can lead to carcinogenesis, as cells that are not killed by the clastogenic effect, can become cancerous: clastogenes can mutagenic or carcinogenic, depending on whether the effect within the germ line of a successor generation is passed or if developed in somatic cells, a tumor.

Identified clastogenes are acridine yellow, benzene, ethylene oxide, arsenic, phosphine and mimosine ( Leucenol ). Frequent exposure to clastogenic increases the likelihood of abnormal sperm and developmental disorders of the conceived fetuses with them.

Test method

Chemical substances may be subjected to in vitro in a Clastogenicity assay in order to identify clastogens or to free themselves from this suspicion. This is often carried out as a comet assay and also provides information on aneuploidy triggering potential.