Two cases of ras mutation associated with liver hyperplasia in dragonets (Callionymus lyra) exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
✍ Scribed by Françoise Vincent; Jacob de Boer; Annie Pfohl-Leszkowicz; Yan Cherrel; François Galgani
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1998
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 237 KB
- Volume
- 21
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0899-1987
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✦ Synopsis
ras gene activation in a naturally exposed feral fish population may prove to be a particularly sensitive genetic marker of malignancy. The aim of this study was to relate our current knowledge of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) bioactivation and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-induced DNA damage to ras gene activation in liver tumors from dragonets exposed to these environmental carcinogens. We identified a member of the ras gene family in the marine fish dragonet (Callionymus lyra). The first two exons of this new sequence showed a very high degree of homology with the human ras genes (81-86%) at the nucleic acid level and perfect homology at the amino-acid level. In a pilot study, we collected dragonets from the Seine estuary, an area highly contaminated with PAHs and PCBs. An increase in DNA adducts and an accumulation of ortho-and non-ortho-substituted chlorobiphenyls (CB-77, CB-126, and CB-169) were observed in the livers, a finding that correlates well with the levels of PAHs and PCBs in the sediment. Although liver neoplasia was uncommon, a codon 11 mutation was found in two fish with liver cell hyperplasia, suggesting a possible correlation between hepatic precancerous lesions and ras gene activation in dragonets.