US EPA

1031709 

Journal Article 

Theoretical significance of arsenic as a carcinogen 

Rosen, P 

1971 

1 

Journal of Theoretical Biology
ISSN: 0022-5193
EISSN: 1095-8541 

HEEP/72/04685 

32 

2 

425-426 

English 

5566798 

10.1016/0022-5193(71)90178-0 

WOS:A1971K093100017 

HEEP COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. There is prevalence of arsenical skin cancer in chronic arsenicism in Taiwan. The latter work is a statistical study in which it was found that the higher the content of As in drinking water, the greater the frequency of patients with skin cancer. A model of cancer is presented in which a functional operon which is interconnected with the mitotic operons is blocked. The exact nature of such a blockage is not discussed. Since As lies in the same column as P in the periodic table of the elements, a substitution for P in DNA is possible. Since As is a slightly larger atom than P, a sugar phosphate linkage may break. If such a break occurs in the proper location, a critical situation exists. If a break occurs in the operator region of a functional operon, difficulties occur. If a functional operon is interconnected with mitotic operons, the induction of cancer may result. The use of As as a substitute for P in the DNA molecule could illuminate the exact nature of blockage of the operon.