Elucidation of catalytic specificities of human cytochrome P450 and glutathione S-transferase enzymes and relevance to molecular epidemiology

A number of different approaches have been used to determine the catalytic selectivity of individual human enzymes toward procarcinogens. Studies with cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes and glutathione S-transferases are summarized here, and recent work with pyrrolizidine alkaloids, aflatoxins, 4,4'-methylenebis(2-chloroaniline), and ethyl carbamate is discussed. In some cases a single enzyme can catalyze both activation and detoxication reactions of a chemical. The purification and characterization of human lung P4501A1 and the development of a noninvasive assay for human P4502E1 are also described.