Identification of an enhancer element of class Pi glutathione S-transferase gene required for expression by a co-planar polychlorinated biphenyl.

3,3',4,4',5-Pentachlorobiphenyl (PenCB), one of the most toxic co-planar polychlorinated biphenyl congeners, specifically induces class Pi glutathione S-transferase (GSTP1) as well as cytochrome P-450 1A1 in primary cultured rat liver parenchymal cells [Aoki, Matsumoto and Suzuki (1993) FEBS Lett. 333, 114-118]. However, the 5'-flanking sequence of the GSTP1 gene does not contain a xenobiotic responsive element, to which arylhydrocarbon receptor binds. Using a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assay we demonstrate here that the enhancer termed GSTP1 enhancer I (GPEI) is necessary for the stimulation by PenCB of GSTP1 gene expression in primary cultured rat liver parenchymal cells. GPEI is already known to contain a dyad of PMA responsive element-like elements oriented palindromically. It is suggested that a novel signal transduction pathway activated by PenCB contributes to the stimulation of GSTP1 expression.