US EPA

198706 

Journal Article 

The Ah receptor and dioxin toxicity: From rodent to human tissues 

Roberts, EA; Shear, NH; Okey, AB; Manchester, DK 

1985 

Yes 

Chemosphere
ISSN: 0045-6535
EISSN: 1879-1298 

14 

6/7 

661-674 

10.1016/0045-6535(85)90174-2 

Introduction
Despite several years of intense investigation, the precise mechanism by which TCDD and related halogenated compounds cause toxicity remains unclear. Experiments in laboratory animals indicate that binding to the Ah receptor is a key early step in the toxicity of halogenated xenobiotics. This review will briefly summarize what is known about the Ah receptor and its role in the TCDD toxicity and then provide evidence that a similar receptor system exists in human cells and tissues.
General Nature of the Ah Receptor
The Ah receptor is a soluble cytoplasmic protein with a molecular weight greater than 200,000 [1,2]. Ligands initially bind to the Ah receptor in the cytoplasm (Fig. 1), after which the ligand-receptor complex translocated into the nucleus in a temperature-dependent step [3,4].