Binding of a polycyclic hydrocarbon to mouse skin proteins.

Theoretical considerations have taken into account an intermediate carbonium ion in this region that will react with electron rich sites within the cell 2. This interaction of a carcinogen with protein or DNA is considered generally to be involved in oncogenesis. Experimental evidence for a reaction mechanism involving the K-region of the hydrocarbon in carcinogenesis is the low carcinogenic activity of the 3,4-epoxy-3,4-dihydro-l,2,5,6-dibenzanthracene in animals 3. More recently the high transforming activity of epoxides on tissue culture cells has been reported 4. The chemical evidence for such a reaction mechanism, the isolation of 2-phenylphenanthrene-3,2-dicarboxylic acid after binding of the carcinogen to proteins 5 has been disproved 6 .