Estradiol-17 beta induces polyaromatic hydrocarbon-inducible cytochrome P-450 in chicken liver.

A cDNA clone has been isolated from a chicken liver library prepared against messenger RNA isolated after chronic estradiol - 17 beta treatment. The clone, pP-450 IA - 61, has an insert of 900nt and the sequence shows high homology to CYPIA2 subfamily from four other species. A single injection of estradiol - 17 beta to immature chicken results in a striking induction of mRNA hybridizing to labeled pP-450IA - 61. The probe also hybridizes to mRNA induced by 3 - methylcholanthrene in chicken. These results offer direct proof for the similarity in the mode of action at the transcriptional level of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and estrogenic compounds.