Marine mammals can accumulate environmental contaminants in their blubber at concentrations harmful to laboratory animals. Induction of the cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) enzyme is widely used as a biomarker of exposure and molecular effects in animal species, yet the validity of this biomarker has not been established in marine mammals. In vivo studies are generally precluded in these protected ...

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a transcription factor whose activity is regulated by environmental agents, including several carcinogenic agonists. We measured recruitment of AHR and associated proteins to the human cytochrome P4501A1 gene promoter in vivo. Upon treatment with the agonist beta-naphthoflavone, AHR is rapidly associated with the promoter and recruits the three members of the ...

Epidemiological studies have shown that lung cancer is associated with tobacco and alcohol use, and is common in regions where these products are often consumed. Similar to other environmental toxins, tobacco requires metabolic activation and subsequent detoxification by a series of enzymes such as phase I enzymes i-e the cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP) and phase II xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme...

Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv Xanthi) plants expressing a genetically engineered fused enzyme between rat cytochrome P4501A1 (CYPlAl) and yeast NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase were produced. The expression plasmid pCFC2 for the fused enzyme was constructed by insertion of the corresponding cDNA into the expression vector pNCOl under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35...