Synonym: 3,4-Benzopyrene, 3,4-Benzpyrene, Benzo[def]chrysene
CAS Number: 50-32-8
Empirical Formula (Hill Notation): C20H12
Molecular Weight: 252.31
Beilstein Registry Number: 1911333
EC Number: 200-028-5
MDL Number: MFCD00003602
PubChem Substance ID: 24891610
Application
Benzo[a]pyrene (PAH), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollutant, is used as a chemical carcinogen in experimental models of cancer. Carcinogenesis depends on it′s oxidation by CYP1A1 to benzo[a]pyrenediolepoxide, that forms depurinating adducts with DNA that dissociate to form abasic lesions. Benzo[a]pyrene is a ligand for the arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR), and some of its biological effects, including the induction of CYP1A1, appear to be mediated via activation of the AhR.