Specific accumulation of CYP94A1 transcripts after exposure to gaseous benzaldehyde: Induction of lauric acid ω-hydroxylase activity in Vicia sativa exposed to atmospheric pollutants

• Published in: Environmental research 2011, Vol.111 (1), p.37-44
• Main Authors: Kastner, P.E., Le Calvé, S., Diss, L., Sauveplane, V., Franke, R., Schreiber, L., Pinot, F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - toxicity; Aldehydes; Analytical chemistry; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Atmosphere; Benzaldehyde; Benzaldehydes - toxicity; Benzene; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Northern; Chemical Sciences; Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A - biosynthesis; Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A - genetics; Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A - metabolism; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System - biosynthesis; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System - genetics; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System - metabolism; Cytochrome P450; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on plants and fungi; Enzyme Induction - drug effects; Exposure; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gases; Induction; Lauric acid; Life Sciences; Nitrogen dioxide; Ozone; Plant; Pollutant; Pollutants; Substrate Specificity; Time Factors; Transcriptional Activation - drug effects; Vegetal Biology; Vicia sativa; Vicia sativa - drug effects; Vicia sativa - enzymology; Vicia sativa - genetics
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2010.09.014

The effects of air pollutants such as aldehydes, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and benzene on fatty acid ω-hydroxylase activity in Vicia sativa microsomes have been investigated. Four days old etiolated V. sativa seedlings were exposed to different concentrations of selected pollutants for varying exposure times. Growing etiolated V. sativa seedlings in air containing the gaseous benzaldehyde (150 nM) led to an 8-fold enhancement of lauric acid ω-hydroxylase activity in microsomes of treated plants compared to controls grown in pure air (96±10 versus 12±2 pmol/min/mg protein, respectively). The induction increased with increasing gas phase concentrations (10–1300 nM) and the maximum of activity was measured after 48 h of exposure. Northern blot analysis revealed that this induction occurred via transcriptional activation of the gene coding for CYP94A1. The absence of CYP94A2 and CYP94A3 transcription activation together with the missing effect on epoxide hydrolases activities indicate the specificity of CYP94A1 induction by benzaldehyde. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide, ozone and formaldehyde also stimulated lauric acid ω-hydroxylases activity while exposure to benzene did not show any effect.