0000000000740221

AUTHOR

P Siegert

Sequence of a novel cytochrome CYP2B cDNA coding for a protein which is expressed in a sebaceous gland, but not in the liver

The major phenobarbital-inducible rat hepatic cytochromes P-450, CYP2B1 and CYP2B2, are the paradigmatic members of a cytochrome P-450 gene subfamily that contains at least seven additional members. Specific oligonucleotide probes for these genomic members of the CYP2B subfamily were used to assess their tissue-specific expression. In Northern-blot analysis a probe specific to gene 4 (which is designated now as CYP2B12) hybridized to a single mRNA present in the preputial gland, an organ which is used as a model for sebaceous glands, but did not hybridize to mRNA isolated from the liver or from five other tissues of untreated or Aroclor 1254-treated rats. The cDNA sequence for the CYP2B12 R…

research product

Introduction of Cytochrome P-450 Genes into V79 Chinese Hamster Cells to Generate New Mutagenicity Test Systems

Usually, cultivated cells have poor capabilities to metabolize promutagens and procarcinogens. This is particularly true for cells that grow fast and have a high cloning efficiency, as is the case with V79 Chinese hamster cells. For this reason, these cells are being extensively used in mutagenicity tests. But, due to the fact that particularly these cells lack cytochrome P-450 activities, promutagens and procarcinogens have to be incubated with an exogenous metabolizing system, e.g. liver homogenate preparations, in order to generate reactive metabolites. These extracellularly generated metabolites are then given to V79 cells in order to check for their potency to mutate the chromosomal DN…

research product

Studies of the expression of the cytochrome P450IA, P450IIB, and P450IIC gene family in extrahepatic and hepatic tissues.

We have studied the expression of three P-450 gene subfamilies in hepatic and extrahepatic tissues using the sensitive RNAse A protection assay. Members of the P450IA subfamily, which encodes the major methylcholanthrene-inducible cytochromes P-450, were found to be not expressed in extrahepatic tissues of untreated animals, raising the question whether these P-450 play a role in the metabolism of carcinogens in unexposed individuals. In contrast, members of the P450IIB family, some of which encode the major phenobarbital-inducible cytochromes P-450, were found to be expressed in some extrahepatic tissues of untreated rats and here most notably in the lung and in sebaceous glands. Members o…

research product