Genome-scale mutational signatures of aflatoxin in cells, mice, and human tumors

Aflatoxin BI (AFBI) is a mutagen and IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) Group 1 carcinogen that causes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we present the first whole-genome data on the mutational signatures of AFBI exposure from a total of >40,000 mutations in four experimental systems: two different human cell lines, in liver tumors in wild type mice, and in mice that carried a hepatitis B surface antigen transgene this to model the multiplicative effects of aflatoxin exposure and hepatitis B in causing HCC. AFBI mutational signatures from all four experimental systems were remarkably similar. We integrated the experimental mutational signatures with data from newly sequenced HCCs from Qidong County, China, a region of well-studied aflatoxin exposure. This indicated that COSMIC mutational signature 24, previously hypothesized to stem from aflatoxin exposure, indeed likely represents AFBI exposure, possibly combined with other exposures. Among published somatic mutation data, we found evidence of AFBI exposure in 0.7% of HCCs treated in North America,1% of HCCs from Japan, but16% of HCCs from Hong Kong. Thus, aflatoxin exposure apparently remains a substantial public health issue in some areas. This aspect of our study exemplifies the promise of future widespread resequencing of tumor genomes in providing new insights into the contribution of mutagenic exposures to cancer incidence.