Structural Gene Products of the Murine Ah Complex

Abstract

Antibodies against mouse-liver microsomal cytochromes P1-450 and P-448, two polycyclic aromatic inducible cytochromes, were previously developed [Negishi, M. and Nebert, D.W. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 11015-11023]. Liver microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated and phenobarbital-treated and control adult mice and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-treated adult and fetal mice were examined. Immunoprecipitable radioactivity was measured, following labeling with pyridoxal phosphate/NaB[3H]4 or with 125I-labeled p-aminosulfobenzoic acid/NaNO2 in vitro or with [3H]leucine, [14C]glucosamine, or [32P]O4 in vivo. (a) Induction of cytochrome P1-450 occurs developmentally earlier in gestation than induction of cytochrome P-448 when the mother is treated with polycyclic aromatic compounds. (b) There appears to be a basal form of cytochrome P-448 but no cytochrome P1-450 in control liver microsomes; inducibility of cytochrome P-448 thus ranges between 5--12-fold, whereas that of P1-450 is infinite. (c) Phenobarbital pretreatment induces no detectable P1-450 or P-448. (d) P-448 appears to be either greater in concentration than P1-450 in the membrane or more exposed than P1-450 on the microsomal membrane surface. (e) By the radioimmunoassay methods used, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-induced P1-450 and P-448 in Ah-nonresponsive mice are indistinguishable from those in Ah-responsive mice; this is true in both the fetus and the adult. (f) Compared with P-448 expression, the expression of P1-450 is more closely associated with 3-methylcholanthrene-induced aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity, and these two structural gene products are apparently regulated independently. (g) P-448 but not P1-450 appears to be a glycoprotein. These data illustrate further differences between two forms of polycyclic aromatic-inducible P-450 in mouse liver. Neither P1-450 nor P-448 appears to be a phosphoprotein. Neither anti-(P1-450) nor anti-(P-448) precipitates any forms of liver microsomal P-450 from beta-naphthoflavone-treated adult rabbits and, conversely, anti-LM4 (the antibody to rabbit liver microsomal P-450 form 4) does not precipitate any forms of liver microsomal P-450 from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated C57BL/6N mice.