Microsome-mediated mutagenicities of the dihydrodiols of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene: high mutagenic activity of the 3,4-dihydrodiol.

7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and its 3,4-, 5,6-, 8,9- and 10,11-dihydrodiols have been tested for mutagenicity towards $\text{S}$. $\text{typhimurium}$ TA100 in the presence of rat-liver post-mitochondrial supernatants from Aroclor-treated rats. At non-toxic concentrations, the non-K-region 3,4-dihydrodiol was six-fold more active than the parent hydrocarbon. At these concentrations, the 8,9-dihydrodiol showed some mutagenic activity, but the 5,6- and 10,11-dihydrodiols were inactive.     

Microbial metabolism and detoxification of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene

Summary Six strains of fungi grown on Sabouraud dextrose broth in the presence of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) were surveyed for their ability to metabolize DMBA. Experiments with [¹⁴C]DMBA indicated that the extent of formation of organic-soluble metabolites ranged from 6 to 28% after 5 days of incubation, depending on the organism tested. The yields of water-soluble metabolites also varied, and ranged from 1 to 33% after 5 days.Cunninghamella elegans ATCC 36112 andSyncephalastrum racemosum UT-70 exhibited the highest DMBA-metabolizing activity among the organisms surveyed.S. racemosum metabolized DMBA primarily to 7-hydroxymethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene (7-OHM-12-MBA)_ and 7,12-dihydroxymethylbenz[a]anthracene (7,12-diOHMBA). Minor metabolites included 7-OHM-12-MBA-trans-5,6-, 8,9- and 10,11-dihydrodiols, and glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of phenolic derivatives of DMBA. In contrast, the major DMBA metabolites produced byC. elegans were water-soluble. The predominant organic-soluble metabolites produced byC. elegans included 7-OHM-12-MBA-trans-5,6-, 8,9- and 10,11-dihydrodiols. DMBA-trans-3,4-dihydrodiol was also detected. Circular dichroism spectral analysis revealed that the major enantiomer of the 7-OHM-12-MBA-trans-8,9-dihydrodiol formed by each organism has anS,S absolute configuration, while the major enantiomers of the 5,6-, 10,11- and 3,4-dihydrodiols had anR,R configuration. The mutagenic activity of extracts fromS. racemosum exposed to DMBA were determined inSalmonella typhimurium TA98. The mutagenicity of DMBA decreased by 36% over a period of 5 days as 33% of the compound was metabolized. Comparison of these results with previously reported results in mammalian systems suggests that there are similarities and differences between the fungal and mammalian oxidation of DMBA and that the overall balance of fungal metabolism is towards a detoxification rather than a bioactivation pathway.     

High mutageniticity of metabolically activated chrysene 1,2 dihydrodiol: evidence for bay region activation of chrysene.

Chrysene and the 3 metabolically possible vicinal $\text{trans}$ dihydrodiols of chrysene were tested for mutagenicity towards $\text{S. typhimurium}$ strain TA100 in the presence of hepatic microsomes or a highly purified hepatic microsomal monooxygenase system. The products formed during the metabolic activation of chrysene 1,2-dihydrodiol were more than 20 times as mutagenic to the bacteria than the metabolites formed from chrysene, chrysene 3,4-dihydrodiol or chrysene 5,6-dihydrodiol. When the double bond in the 3,4-position of chrysene 1,2-dihydrodiol was saturated, the resulting tetrahydrodiol could not be metabolically activated. These results, which strongly suggest that chrysene 1,2-dihydrodiol is activated by metabolism to either or both of the diastereomeric chrysene 1,2-diol-3,4-epoxides, provide additional support for the bay region theory of polycyclic hydrocarbon carcinogenicity.     

Association between the cytotoxicity of thymidine and tumorigenicity of clones derived from C3H10T12 mouse embryo fibroblasts

We have measured the cytotoxicity of thymidine to $\text{C3H}\text{10T}\text{1}\text{2}$ mouse embryo fibroblasts derived from morphologically transformed foci of cells from cultures exposed to chemical carcinogens. Four of these cell lines have previously been shown to be tumorigenic in irradiated syngeneic hosts and were all more sensitive to the lethal effects of thymidine than were the non-transformed cells. Strikingly, the most tumorigenic of the cell lines were most sensitive to thymidine. Differences in plating efficiencies or growth rates of the various cell lines were not associated with differences in thymidine sensitivity.     

The formation of dihydrodiols by the chemical or enzymic oxidation of benz[a] anthracene and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene.

When benz[a] anthracene was oxidised in a reaction mixture containing ascorbic acid, ferrous sulphate and EDTA, the non-K-region dihydrodiols, trans-1,2-dihydro-1,2-dihydroxybenz[a] anthracene and trans-3,4-dihydro-3,4-dihydroxybenz[a] anthracene together with small amounts of the 8,9- and 10,11-dihydrodiols were formed. When oxidised in a similar system, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene yielded the K-region dihydrodiol, trans-5,6-dihydro-5,6-dihydroxy-7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene and the non-K-region dihydrodiols, trans-3,4-dihydro-3,4-dihydroxy-7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene, trans-8,9-dihydro-8,9-dihydroxy-7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene, trans-10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxy-7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene and a trace of the 1,2-dihydrodiol. The structures and sterochemistry of the dihydrodiols were established by comparisons of their UV spectra and chromatographic characteristics using HPLC with those of authentic compounds or, when no authentic compounds were available, by UV, NMR and mass spectral analysis. An examination by HPLC of the dihydrodiols formed in the metabolism, by rat-liver microsomal fractions, of benz[a] anthracene and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene was carried out. The metabolic dihydriols were identified by comparisons of their chromatographic and UV or fluorescence spectral characteristics with compounds of known structures. The principle metabolic dihydriols formed from both benz[a] anthracene and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene were the trans-5,6- and trans-8,9-dihydrodiols. The 1,2- and 10,11-dihydrodiols were identified as minor products of the metabolism of benz [a] anthracene and the tentative identification of the trans-3,4-dihydriol as a metabolite was made from fluorescence and chromatographic data. The minor metabolic dihydriols formed from 7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene were the trans-3,4-dihydrodiol and the trans-10,11-dihydriol but the trans-1,2-dihydrodiol was not detected in the present study.     

Leukotriene A: stereochemistry and enzymatic conversion to leukotriene B

Leukotriene A was assigned the structure 5(S)-$\text{trans}$-5,6-oxido-7,9-$\text{trans}\text{-11,14-}\text{cis}$-eicosatetraenoic acid by the enzymatic conversion of a synthetic product of known stereochemistry into the naturally occurring isomer of 5(S),12(R)-dihydroxy-6,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.     

Absolute stereochemistry of the trans-dihydrodiols formed from benzo[a]anthracene by liver microsomes.

Through application of the exciton chirality method, absolute stereochemistry has been assigned to the (+)-and (-)-enantiomers of four of the five metabolically possible trans-dihydrodiols of the polycyclic hydrocarbon benzo[a]anthracene (BA). The (+)- and (-)-enantiomers of each of these dihydrodiols can be separated as their diastereomeric bis-esters with (-)-alpha-methoxy-alpha-trifluoromethylphenylacetic acid by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). BA 3,4-, 5,6-, 8,9- and 10,11-dihydrodiol are formed in 38%, 36%, 78% and 66% enantiometric purity, respectively, by liver microsomes from phenobarbital-treated rats, whereas the liver microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene(MC)-treated rats form BA 5,6-, 8,9- and 10,11-dihydrodiols with higher optical purity (62%, 96% and 96%, respectively). BA 3,4-dihydrodiol is formed from (+/-)-BA 3,4-oxide by microsomal epoxide hydrase in very high enantiometric purity (78%). The major enantiomer of the BA dihydrodiols formed by liver enzymes has R,R absolute stereochemistry in each case. In parallel with previous studies on the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene, the more tumorigenic (-)-enantiomer is the predominant isomer of BA 3,4-dihydrodiol formed by liver microsomes from BA.     

Stereoselective fungal metabolism of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene: identification and enantiomeric resolution of a K-region dihydrodiol

Syncephalastrum racemosum UT-70 and Cunninghamella elegans ATCC 36112 metabolized 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (7,12-DMBA) to hydroxymethyl metabolites as well as 7-hydroxymethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene trans-3,4-, -5,6-, -8,9-, and -10,11-dihydrodiols. The 7,12-DMBA metabolites were isolated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and identified by their UV-visible absorption, mass, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectral characteristics. A comparison of the circular dichroism spectra of the K-region (5,6-position) dihydrodiol of both fungal strains with those of the 7,12-DMBA 5S,6S-dihydrodiol formed from 7,12-DMBA by rat liver microsomes indicated that the major enantiomer of the 7-hydroxymethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene trans-5,6-dihydrodiol formed by both fungal strains had a 5R,6R absolute stereochemistry. Direct resolution of the fungal trans-5,6-dihydrodiols by chiral stationary-phase high-performance liquid chromatography indicated that the ratios of the R,R and S,S enantiomers were 88:12 and 77:23 for S. racemosum and C. elegans, respectively. These results indicate that the fungal metabolism of 7,12-DMBA at the K region (5,6-position) is highly stereoselective and different from that reported for mammalian enzyme systems.     

Stereoselective fungal metabolism of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene: identification and enantiomeric resolution of a K-region dihydrodiol.

Syncephalastrum racemosum UT-70 and Cunninghamella elegans ATCC 36112 metabolized 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (7,12-DMBA) to hydroxymethyl metabolites as well as 7-hydroxymethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene trans-3,4-, -5,6-, -8,9-, and -10,11-dihydrodiols. The 7,12-DMBA metabolites were isolated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and identified by their UV-visible absorption, mass, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectral characteristics. A comparison of the circular dichroism spectra of the K-region (5,6-position) dihydrodiol of both fungal strains with those of the 7,12-DMBA 5S,6S-dihydrodiol formed from 7,12-DMBA by rat liver microsomes indicated that the major enantiomer of the 7-hydroxymethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene trans-5,6-dihydrodiol formed by both fungal strains had a 5R,6R absolute stereochemistry. Direct resolution of the fungal trans-5,6-dihydrodiols by chiral stationary-phase high-performance liquid chromatography indicated that the ratios of the R,R and S,S enantiomers were 88:12 and 77:23 for S. racemosum and C. elegans, respectively. These results indicate that the fungal metabolism of 7,12-DMBA at the K region (5,6-position) is highly stereoselective and different from that reported for mammalian enzyme systems.     

Stereoselective metabolism of 7-nitrobenz(a)anthracene to 3,4- and 8,9- trans-dihydrodiols

Metabolism of 7-nitrobenz(a)anthracene (7-NO2-BA) by rat liver microsomes yielded 7-NO2-BA trans-3,4-dihydrodiol and 7-NO2-BA trans-8,9-dihydrodiol as major metabolites. Proton NMR spectral analyses indicate that 7-NO2-BA trans-3,4-dihydrodiol preferentially adopts a quasidiequatorial conformation and that 7-NO2-BA trans-8,9-dihydrodiol adopts a mixture of quasidiequatorial and quasidiaxial conformations. Circular dichroism spectral analyses of these compounds and their diacetoxy derivatives indicated that the major enantiomers of both dihydrodiols have R,R absolute stereochemistries. The identification of 7-NO2-BA trans-8,9-dihydrodiol as a metabolite of 7-NO2-BA indicates that oxidative metabolism can occur at position peri to the nitro substituent.     

The involvement of a non-'bay-region' diol-epoxide in the formation of benz(a)anthracene-DNA adducts in a rat-liver microsomal system

The metabolic activation of benz(a)anthracene was investigated by incubating [³H]-benz(a)anthracene with DNA, a NADPH-generating system and rat-liver microsomes. When hydrolysates of the DNA were chromatographed on Sephadex LH20 columns, three hydrocarbon-nucleoside adduct peaks were resolved and these were further examined using HPLC. One adduct probably results from the reaction of the non-bay-region diol-epoxide $\text{r}$-8,$\text{t}$-9-dihydroxy-$\text{t}$-10,11-oxy-8,9,10,11-tetrahydrobenz(a)anthracene $\text{(}\text{anti}$-BA-8,9-diol 10,11-oxide) with DNA. The other two adducts did not co-chromatograph with adducts formed from any of the four possible isomeric diolepoxides that can be formed in the 8,9,10,11-ring of benz(a)anthracene.     

The formation of dihydrodiols in the chemical or enzymic oxidation of dibenz[a,c]anthracene, dibenz[a,h]-anthracene and chrysene.

The formation of trans-dihydrodiols from dibenz[a,c]anthracene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene and chrysene by chemical oxidation in an ascorbic acid-ferrous sulphate-EDTA system and by rat-liver microsomal fractions has been studied using a combination of thin-layer (TLC) and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) to separate the mixtures of isomeric dihydrodiols. The 1,2- and 3,4-dihydrodiols of dibenz[a,c]anthracene, the 1,2-,3,4- and 5,6-dihydrodiols of dibenz[a,h]anthracene and the 1,2-, 3,4- and 5,6-dihydrodiols of chrysene were formed in chemical oxidations. These dihydrodiols were also formed when the three parent hydrocarbons were metabolized by rat-liver microsomal fractions and, in addition, dibenz[a,c]anthracene yielded the 10,11-dihydrodiol. The 1,2- and 3,4-dihydrodiols of dibenz[a,c]anthracene have not been reported previously either as metabolites of the hydrocarbon or as products of chemical syntheses and the 5,6-dihydrodiol of chrysene was not detected in earlier metabolic studies.     

Regio- and stereo-selective metabolism of 4-methylbenz[a]anthracene by the fungus Cunninghamella elegans.

Metabolism of 4-methylbenz[a]anthracene by the fungus Cunninghamella elegans was studied. C. elegans metabolized 4-methylbenz[a]anthracene primarily at the methyl group, this being followed by further metabolism at the 8,9- and 10,11-positions to form trans-8,9-dihydro-8,9-dihydroxy-4-hydroxymethylbenz[a]anthracene and trans-10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxy-4-hydroxymethylbenz[a]anthracene. There was no detectable trans-dihydrodiol formed at the methyl-substituted double bond (3,4-positions) or at the 'K' region (5,6-positions). The metabolites were isolated by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography and characterized by the application of u.v.-visible-absorption-, 1H-n.m.r.- and mass-spectral techniques. The 4-hydroxymethylbenz[a]anthracene trans-8,9- and -10,11-dihydrodiols were optically active. Comparison of the c.d. spectra of the trans-dihydrodiols formed from 4-methylbenz[a]anthracene by C. elegans with those of the corresponding benz[a]anthracene trans-dihydrodiols formed by rat liver microsomal fraction indicated that the major enantiomers of the 4-hydroxymethylbenz[a]anthracene trans-8,9-dihydrodiol and trans- 10,11-dihydrodiol formed by C. elegans have S,S absolute stereochemistries, which are opposite to those of the predominantly 8R,9R- and 10R,11R-dihydrodiols formed by the microsomal fraction. Incubation of C. elegans with 4-methylbenz[a]anthracene under 18O2 and subsequent mass-spectral analysis of the metabolites indicated that hydroxylation of the methyl group and the formation of trans-dihydrodiols are catalysed by cytochrome P-450 mono-oxygenase and epoxide hydrolase enzyme systems. The results indicate that the fungal mono-oxygenase-epoxide hydrolase enzyme systems are highly stereo- and regio-selective in the metabolism of 4-methylbenz[a]anthracene.     

Reactions of benzo]pa]pyrene diol-epoxides with DNA and nucleosomes in aqueous solutions

The rate of solvolysis of benzo[$\text{a}$]pyrene diol-epoxide in aqueous solutions can be followed by fluorescence spectroscopy. When DNA was present the rat of breakdown of benzo[$\text{a}$]pyrene diol-epoxide was substantially enhanced, while at the same time fluorescence intensity was decreased. This decrease, however, was due to noncovalently bound tetraols and does not seem to be a function of the covalent adducts formed. Nucleosomal core particles, reacted under identical conditions, showed very little quenching of the pyrene-like chromophore. When increasing amounts of cysteine were present the covalent binding could be prevented in both free DNA and nucleosomal DNA. Analysis of the distribution of the carcinogen to nucleosomal DNA showed that the covalently bound carcinogen was located at or within 10 bases of the 5′-OH region of the nucleosomal DNA.     

Ligand-dependent reactivity of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase with showdomycin

Showdomycin inhibited pig brain ($\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{)-}\text{ATPase}$ with pseudo first-order kinetics. The rate of inhibition by showdomycin was examined in the presence of 16 combinations of four ligands, i.e., Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and ATP, and was found to depend on the ligands added. Combinations of ligands were divided into five groups in terms of the magnitude of the rate constant; in the order of decreasing rate constants these were: (1)$\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{Mg}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}\text{+}\text{ATP}$, (2) $\text{Mg}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}$, $\text{Mg}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}\text{+}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$, $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ and none, (3) $\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{Mg}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}\text{,}\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$, $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ and $\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{Mg}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}$, (4) $\text{Mg}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}\text{+}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{ATP}\text{,}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{ATP}$ and $\text{Mg}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}\text{+}\text{ATP}\text{, (5)}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{ATP}$, $\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{ATP}$, $\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{ATP}$, $\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{Mg}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}\text{+}\text{ATP}$ and ATP. The highest rate was obtained in the presence of Na⁺, Mg²⁺ and ATP. The apparent concentrations of Na⁺, Mg²⁺ and ATP for half-maximum stimulation of inhibition ($\text{K}{}_{0.5}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>s</mtext>}}$) were 3 mM, 0.13 mM and 4μM, respectively. The rate was unchanged upon further increase in Na⁺ concentration from 140 to 1000 mM. The rates of inhibition could be explained on the basis of the enzyme forms present, including E₁, E₂, ES, E₁-P and E₂-P, i.e., E₂ has higher reactivity with showdomycin than E₁, while E₂-P has almost the same reactivity as E₁-P. We conclude that the reaction of ($\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{)-}\text{ATPase}$ proceeds via at least four kinds of enzyme form (E₁, E₂, E₁ · nucleotide and EP), which all have different conformations.     

Cytochrome P450cam catalyzed epoxidation of dehydrocamphor

In addition to the normal 5-$\text{exo}$-hydroxylation of camphor, bacterial cytochrome P450 is shown to carry out the facile epoxidation of dehydrocamphor to give $\text{exo}$-5,6-epoxycamphor. A detailed kinetic study of the reaction demonstrates that epoxidation and hydroxylation reactions occur with nearly identical rates both in the reconstituted system containing flavoprotein dehydrogenase, iron-sulfur protein, and NADH as well as in the single turnover reaction beginning with ferrous, oxygenated cytochrome P450. Dehydrocamphor is not a suicide substrate for the enzyme since competent enzyme remains after several thousand reaction cycles per P450 molecule.     

Esterification of arylhydroxylamines: Evidence for a specific gene product in mutagenesis

Characterization of a $\text{Salmonella}\text{typhmurium}$ mutant strain (TA98/1,8-DNP₆) resistant to the mutagenicity of nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitroarenes) revealed that it was also non-responsive to the mutagenic action of nitroso- and N-hydroxylaminoarenes. The mutant strain was fully sensitive to the mutagenic action of the corresponding hydroxamic acid ester. These results suggest that TA98/1,8-DNP₆ is deficient in a specific esterifying enzyme and that esterification of the penultimate mutagenic metabolites of nitro- and aminoarenes ($\text{e.g.}$, arylhydroxylamines) to form potent electrophiles is controlled by a specific gene.     

High microsome-mediated mutagenicity of the 3,4-dihydrodiol of 7-methylbenz[a]anthracene in S. typhimurium TA 98.

7-Methylbenz[a]anthracene and the 1,2-, 3,4-, 5,6- and 8,9-dihydrodiols derived from this hydrocarbon have been tested for mutagenicity towards S. typhimurium TA 98 in the presence of rat-liver post-mitochondrial supernatant. At non-toxic concentrations, the mutagenicity of the non-K-region 3,4-dihydrodiol was more than ten-fold higher than that of the other K-region and non-K-region dihydrodiols and more than three-fold higher than that of the parent hydrocarbon. 1,1,1-Trichloropropene 2,3-oxide, an inhibitor of epoxide hydratase, increased the microsome-mediated mutagenicity of 7-methylbenz[a]anthracene but did not alter that of the four related dihydrodiols.     

Covalent binding of benzo[a]pyrene to dna in fish liver

Benzo[a]pyrene became bound to the hepatic DNA in juvenile English sole ($\text{Parophrys vetulus}$) force fed tritiated benzo[a]pyrene. No statistically signïficant change was observed in the level of the binding from 16 h to 2 wk after the single exposure. Specific activities of binding were similar for both DNA and protein. Moreover, a binding index was calculated to represent the number of benzo[a]pyrene molecules bound per 10⁶ nucleotides after administration of a theoretical dose of 1 mmole of hydrocarbon per kg body weight. The value for English sole liver DNA was of the same order of magnitude as the values reported for mouse skin and mammary gland in which benzo[a]pyrene is carcinogenic.     

Mutagenicity of non-K-region diols and diol-epoxides of benz(a)anthracene and benzo(a)pyrene in S. typhimurium TA 100

When incubated with a 9,000 x g rat-liver supernatant, benzo(a)pyrene 7,8-diol and benz(a)anthracene 8,9-diol were more active than the parent hydrocarbons in inducing his⁺ revertant colonies of S. typhimurium TA 100. Benzo(a) pyrene 9,10-diol was less active than benzo(a)pyrene; the K-region diols, benz(a)anthracene 5,6-diol and benzo(a)pyrene 4,5-diol, were inactive. None of the diols was active when the cofactors for the microsomal mono-oxygenase were omitted. The diol-epoxides benzo(a)pyrene 7,8-diol 9,10-oxide, benz(a)anthracene 8,9-diol 10,11-oxide and 7-methylbenz(a)anthracene 8,9-diol 10,11-oxide and the K-region epoxides, benzo(a)pyrene 4,5-oxide and benz(a)anthracene 5,6-oxide, were mutagenic without further metabolism.