Abstract
A sulfotransferase (ST) capable of activating 1-hydroxymethylpyrene (HMP) and 9-hydroxymethylanthracene (HMA) to mutagens was purified from rat liver. This enzyme appeared to be identical with hydroxysteroid STa, whose cDNA was cloned and stably expressed in Chinese hamster V79 cells. Several primary and secondary benzylic alcohols derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons induced gene mutations, sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and/or cytotoxicity in these cells.