Effect of Benzo[a]pyrene on Genes Related to the Cell Cycle and Cytochrome P450 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is an environmental pollutant that has been implicated in carcinogenesis. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was treated with B[a]P, and the responses of its cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme and DNA-damage checkpoint genes were examined through gene expression profiles using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The DNA-damage checkpoint genes tested were the chk1 and pds1 genes, involved in a metaphase arrest, the swi6 gene targeted by G1 arrest, the pol2 gene related to S phase arrest, and the cln2 gene encoding a cyclin protein, all of which are based on rad9 and rad24. Among these genes, no noticeable effect was found when the cells were exposed to various concentrations of B[a]P. However, the transcriptional activity of CYP51 was significantly different when the cells were exposed to B[a]P. Accordingly, the present results indicate that cytochrome P450 plays a more significant role than DNA-damage checkpoint genes in the response of S. cerevisiae to B[a]P.