The clastogenic effect of furocoumarins psoralen and angelicin in the presence of near-UV (320-380 nm) differs greatly, as do their modes of interaction with DNA. Psoralen, which requires only one-fifth as much light energy to produce the same lethal effect as angelicin at equimolar concentrations, is able to cross-link DNA whereas angelicin cannot. The frequency of micronuclei which arise from chromosomal fragments shows the same differential effect as lethality. Indeed aberrations account for much or all of the lethality observed. Metaphase analysis at comparable aberration frequencies revealed that angelicin and psoralen both induce chromatid deletions and a wide spectrum of chromatid exchanges. These data show that both cross-links and monoadducts to the DNA can result in chromosomal aberrations. The relative contributions of cross-links and monoadducts to chromosomal aberrations still remain to be determined. It is noteworthy that extensive chromosomal damage is induced in mammalian cells by the combination of psoralen and near-UV, a treatment which is currently widely used in the therapy of psoriasis.