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Yeast As a Chassis for Developing Functional Assays to Study Human P53
Published on: August 4, 2019
Evaluating polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using a yeast bioassay
Abeer Alnafisi1, Janet Hughes, Guangdi Wang
1Environmental Health Sciences Department, Center for Bioenvironmental Research and Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
|August 2, 2007
Summary
This study identified potent activators of the aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor signaling pathway among polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A yeast-based assay showed additive and synergistic effects, suggesting its use for biomonitoring environmental samples.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Toxicology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental contaminants.
- The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) pathway mediates toxic effects of PAHs.
- Assessing AhR activation is crucial for understanding PAH toxicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the ability of 16 PAHs to activate AhR signaling.
- To classify PAHs based on their potency in activating AhR.
- To assess the utility of a yeast-based bioassay for biomonitoring PAHs.
Main Methods:
- A yeast-based bioassay was employed to measure AhR activation.
- Individual PAHs and their mixtures were tested.
- Environmental samples from New Orleans and Detroit were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, chrysene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[j]fluoranthene, and benzo[k]fluoranthene were identified as potent AhR activators.
- PAH mixtures exhibited additive or synergistic effects on AhR signaling.
- Weak but significant correlations were found between measured PAH levels and bioassay results.
Conclusions:
- The yeast-based AhR signaling assay is a viable tool for preliminary biomonitoring of PAHs.
- This assay can detect the combined effects of PAHs in environmental samples.
- Further validation may enhance its application in environmental risk assessment.
