Detection of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activation by Some Chemicals in Food Using a Reporter Gene Assay

• Published in: Foods Vol. 5; no. 1; p. 15
• Main Authors: Amakura, Yoshiaki, Tsutsumi, Tomoaki, Yoshimura, Morio, Nakamura, Masafumi, Handa, Hiroshi, Matsuda, Rieko, Teshima, Reiko, Watanabe, Takahiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI 25.02.2016
• Subjects: reporter gene assay; amino acid; pesticide; food hygiene; aryl hydrocarbon receptor; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods5010015

The purpose of this study was to examine whether a simple bioassay used for the detection of dioxins (DXNs) could be applied to detect trace amounts of harmful DXN-like substances in food products. To identify substances with possible DXN-like activity, we assessed the ability of various compounds in the environment to bind the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) that binds specifically to DXNs. The compounds tested included 19 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 20 PAH derivatives (nitrated, halogenated, and aminated derivatives), 23 pesticides, six amino acids, and eight amino acid metabolites. The AhR binding activities (AhR activity) of these compounds were measured using the chemical activated luciferase gene expression (CALUX) reporter gene assay system. The majority of the PAHs exhibited marked AhR activity that increased in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, there was a positive link between AhR activity and the number of aromatic rings in the PAH derivatives. Conversely, there appeared to be a negative correlation between AhR activity and the number of chlorine residues present on halogenated PAH derivatives. However, there was no correlation between AhR activity and the number and position of substituents among nitrated and aminated derivatives. Among the pesticides tested, the indole-type compounds carbendazim and thiabendazole showed high levels of activity. Similarly, the indole compound tryptamine was the only amino acid metabolite to induce AhR activity. The results are useful in understanding the identification and characterization of AhR ligands in the CALUX assay.