Dissociation between ornithine decarboxylase activity and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase induction in cell cultures treated with benz[a]anthracene and inhibitors of ornithine decarboxylase.

The induction of aryl hydrocarbon and ornithine decarboxylase by benz[a]-anthracene in the presence or absence of ornithine decarboxylase inhibitors was studied in three different cell culture systems. An almost complete abolishment of ornithine decarboxylase activity by 1,3-diamino-2-propanol or alpha-difluoremethyl ornithine before the addition of the inducer did not affect appreciably the induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase by benz[a]anthracene in human embryo, HeLa and Rueber H-II-4-E cells in culture. These results suggest that the induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase does not require ornithine decarboxylase activity per se and can be expressed in the absence of continuous polyamine synthesis.