Rat liver microsome-mediated binding of benzo(a)pyrene metabolites to DNA

Individual metabolites of benzo (a) pyrene were isolated from rat liver microsomal incubation of the parent hydrocarbon, and subsequently bound to DNA in separate incubations with microsomes. Of the metabolites examined, by far the greatest binding resulted with 7,8-dihydro-7,8-dihydroxy-benzo(a)pyrene (BP-7,8-diol); the binding od the benzo (a) pyrene phenols (BP-OH) was about 50% that of the 7,8-diol. Analysis of the hydrocarbon-deoxyribonucleoside derivatives obtained by enzymic degradation of these DNA samples revealed that the binding of BP-7,8-diol was accounted for mainly by a single product identical to one of the product identical to one of the products obtained from DNA with bound benzo(a)pyrene. Furthermore, the microsome-induced binding of BP-OH to DNA yielded mainly a single product identical in chromatographic behaviour to the major product derived from benzo(a)pyrene when bound to DNA during incubation with microsomes.