bay region
bay region
The site on benzo[a]pyrene, an indirect carcinogen which is metabolically activated by the P-450 cytochrome oxidase system.Specifically, at the 7,8 double bond, leading to a 7,8 oxide, which is rapidly converted to a 7,8-dihydrodiol and later epoxidated near the bay region at the 9,10 double bond; the resulting product, a diol-epoxide, is a poor substrate for epoxide hydratase and is released from the mitochondria into the cell as a highly reactive electrophil, becoming an “ultimate” carcinogen, as it reacts with negative charges in DNA; P-450 reactions at the K region yield a non-reactive non-carcinogenic inert molecule.