Interaction of carcinogenic hydrocarbons with tissues. VIII. Binding of tritiumlabeled hydrocarbons to the soluble proteins of mouse skin.

Abstract

Studies were carried out in which the binding of thirteen carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic hydrocarbons to the soluble proteins of mouse skin was compared. A good quantitative correlation was found to exist between the binding of the hydrocarbons to a particular protein fraction (protein fraction 1) obtained from mouse skin, which migrates toward the cathode with a relative mobility of +0.23, in starch gel electrophoresis, and the carcinogenic activity of the hydrocarbon. The electrophoretic similarity, but not identity, between this fraction and “h2” proteins from rat liver was established. Studies were also carried out which demonstrated that protein fraction 1 is greatly reduced in hydrocarbon-induced carcinomas and sarcomas. These observations support the protein deletion hypothesis of carcinogenesis. The possible relationships between these findings and carcinogenicity are discussed.