p53 protein in mouse skin N.M.Bjelogrlic, M.Makinen1, F.Stenback1 and

2To whom correspondence should be addressed p53 protein expression has been shown to increase in response to DNA damage in cell culture systems. We have studied p53 expression and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]F)-induced DNA-damage in the form of benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE)—DNA adducts as measured by synchronous fluorescence spectrophotometry (SFS) in B[a]P-treated C57BL/6 mouse skin. Polyclonal murine antibody CM5, which is comparable to human CM1, detecting both wild-type and mutated protein, was used. BPDE-DNA adducts reached their maximum at 24 h after all dosage regimens, but were very well detectable also at 12 and 48 h after the treatment, while no adducts were measurable at 1 week and thereafter. p53 expression was seen in 9/17 (53%) skin samples from mouse treated with 500 /xg of B[a]P 12-48 h after th