A polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), environmental pollutant and carcinogen. Used as a chemical carcinogen in experimental models of cancer. Carcinogenesis depends on it′s oxidation by CYP1A1 to benzo[a]pyrenediolepoxide, that forms depurinating adducts with DNA that dissociate to form abasic lesions. Benzo[a]pyrene is a ligand for the arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR), and some of its biological effects, including the induction of CYP1A1, appear to be mediated via activation of the AhR.
A polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), environmental pollutant and carcinogen. Used as a chemical carcinogen in experimental models of cancer. Carcinogenesis depends on it′s oxidation by CYP1A1 to benzo[a]pyrenediolepoxide, that forms depurinating adducts with DNA that dissociate to form abasic lesions. Benzo[a]pyrene is a ligand for the arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR), and some of its biological effects, including the induction of CYP1A1, appear to be mediated via activation of the AhR.