Fullerene C60 dissolved in polyvinylpyrrolidone was mutagenic for Salmonella strains TA102, TA104 and YG3003 in the presence of rat liver microsomes when it was irradiated by visible light. The mutagenicity was elevated in strain YG3003, a repair enzyme-deficient mutant of TA102. The mutation was reduced in the presence of beta-carotene and parabromophenacyl bromide, a scavenger and an inhibitor, respectively, of phospholipase. The results suggest that singlet oxygen was generated by irradiating the C60 by visible light and that the mutagenicity was due to oxidized phospholipids in rat liver microsomes. Of the phospholipids in rat liver microsomes, the linoleate fraction isolated by high performance liquid chromatography was a major component, and played an important role in mutagenicity. Methyl linoleate, which was prepared for gas chromatographic analysis, was readily oxidized to hydroperoxymethyl linoleate, and associated with both 10- and 12-hydroxyl derivatives with a double bond in chemical structure by singlet oxygen: radicals to the hydroxyl function were probably generated. Because of the instability of the hydroxymethyl linoleate radicals, guanine residues generated radicals. The results of ESR spectrum analysis suggested generation of radicals at the guanine base but not thymine, cytosine and adenine bases as estimated with the g value of 2.0150. On the other hand, the singlet oxygen-generating C60 formed 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) upon treatment with 2' deoxyguanosine and microsomes or linoleate. The formation of 8-OH-dG was highly elevated in the presence of microsomes and linoleate. The level of 8-OH-dG formed with and without the microsome fraction was 47 and 9.6 units, respectively, per 10(4) deoxyguanosine. It was considered that the mechanism is indirect action of singlet oxygen due to lipid peroxidation of linoleate that causes oxidative DNA damage.