Correction factors were determined LBH589 as described previously (Krais et al., 2011). CE-LIF analysis was performed on a PACE™ MDQ system with a Laser System Sapphire 488 CW (λem = 488 nm) from Coherent (Germany). Electrolyte and separation conditions were: 90 mM SDS in a solution of 90% (v/v) sodium phosphate buffer (18 mM, pH 9.0) and 10% (v/v) methanol as organic modifier; fused-silica capillary column, total length 59 cm; length to the detection window 48.5 cm; inner diameter 50 μm; injection 2.5 psis; temperature 20 °C; applied voltage 20 kV. Data were collected and analysed using 32 Karat software (version

5.0, Beckman Coulter). Time corrected individual peak areas were determined as described previously ( Krais et al., 2011). Mouse ES cells are increasingly being Everolimus chemical structure used in mechanism-based genotoxicity testing (Hendriks et

al., 2012 and Pines et al., 2011). They provide an attractive system as they are untransformed, continuously proliferating cells that are proficient in the main DNA damage signalling pathways and cell cycle control systems and are genetically stable (Hendriks et al., 2013). As most environmental carcinogens require metabolism to exert their genotoxic activity we compared ES cells and MEFs derived from mice on a C57Bl/6 genetic background carrying wild-type Trp53 for their ability to metabolically activate environmental carcinogens. We selected a variety of environmental check details carcinogens of different chemical classes

where the metabolism is well studied and characterised. The cell culture test conditions were based on previous studies using these carcinogens in mammalian cells ( Arlt et al., 2007, Hockley et al., 2008, Kucab et al., 2012 and Simoes et al., 2008). We used carcinogen-DNA adduct formation as a surrogate measure of the relevant XME activity as all tested environmental carcinogens induce specific and structurally-identified DNA adducts which can be detected by the 32P-postlabelling assay ( Schmeiser et al., 2013). The metabolic activation of BaP is catalysed predominantly by cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases (CYPs), mainly CYP1A1 and CYP1B1, in combination with microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH), resulting in the highly reactive BaP-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) capable of forming covalent DNA adducts (Fig. 1A) (Arlt et al., 2008, Stiborova et al., 2014a and Stiborova et al., 2014b). The effect of BaP on cell viability was similar in ES cells and MEFs at concentrations up to 5 μM (Fig. 2A and B). With a loss of viable cells of around 50% at 10 μM after 48 h of exposure, ES cells were more sensitive than MEFs. ES cells and MEFs were both capable of generating BaP-induced DNA adducts (Fig. 3A and B). The major DNA adduct (assigned spot B1) was previously identified as 10-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-7,8,9-trihydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (dG-N2-BPDE) ( Arlt et al., 2008).