DRE-CALUX bioassay in comparison with HRGC/MS for measurement of toxic equivalence in environmental samples

Sci Total Environ. 2007 Jan 1;372(2-3):657-67. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.10.036. Epub 2006 Dec 5.

Abstract

CALUX, Chemically Activated LUciferase gene eXpression bioassay, has proven valuable for screening for and assessing toxic equivalents of dioxin-like compounds, because it detects all AhR (arylhydrocarbon receptor) ligands in a variety of sample matrices. In this study, we tried to validate DRE (dioxin-response elements)-CALUX bioassay, which has been developed by cloning mouse cyp1a1 gene in front of luciferase reporter gene. We compared DRE-CALUX bioassay with high resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HRGC/MS) for assessing environmental samples from Korea. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) dose response study showed high correlation (r2=0.89) between DRE-CALUX bioassay and EROD (ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase) bioassay, a commonly used bioassay method. The mean TEQ value of water samples was 0.57 pg-TEQ(HRGC/MS)/L and 4.97 pg-TEQ(CALUX)/L. For soil samples, HRGC/MS-TEQ values ranged from 0 to 47.18 pg-TEQ/g (dry) and correlated well (r2=0.98) with values obtained by CALUX-TEQ which ranged from 0.92 to 649.97 pg-TEQ/g (dry). The difference between the absolute TEQ values might be due to the presence of dioxin-like compounds without WHO-TEQ values rather than the difference between CALUX-REP and WHO-TEQ. Based on this study, we suggest that DRE-CALUX bioassay can serve as an alternative bioassay method for high-throughput analysis of large number of environmental samples.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biological Assay / economics
  • Biological Assay / methods
  • Cell Line
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / drug effects
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / genetics
  • Dioxins / pharmacology
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods*
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / methods*
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Korea
  • Luciferases / drug effects
  • Luciferases / genetics
  • Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / toxicity
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / drug effects
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / metabolism
  • Soil Pollutants / analysis
  • Toxicity Tests / economics
  • Toxicity Tests / methods*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis

Substances

  • Dioxins
  • Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon
  • Soil Pollutants
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Luciferases
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1