Whole Genome Sequencing Analysis of Model Organisms Elucidates the Association Between Environmental Factors and Human Cancer Development

Determining a novel etiology and mechanism of human cancer requires extraction of characteristic mutational signatures derived from chemical substances. This study explored the mutational signatures of <i>N</i>-nitroso bile acid conjugates using <i>Salmonella</i> strains. Exposing <i>S. typhimurium</i> TA1535 to <i>N</i>-nitroso-glycine/taurine bile acid conjugates induced a predominance of C:G to T:A transitions. Two mutational signatures, B1 and B2, were extracted. Signature B1 is associated with <i>N</i>-nitroso-glycine bile acid conjugates, while Signature B2 is linked to <i>N</i>-nitroso-taurine bile acid conjugates. Signature B1 revealed a strong transcribed strand bias with GCC and GCT contexts, and the mutation pattern of <i>N</i>-nitroso-glycine bile acid conjugates in YG7108, which lacks <i>O</i>⁶-methylguanine DNA methyltransferases, matched that of the wild-type strain TA1535, suggesting that <i>O</i>⁶-methyl-deoxyguanosine contributes to mutations in the relevant regions. COSMIC database-based similarity analysis revealed that Signature B1 closely resembled SBS42, which is associated with occupational cholangiocarcinoma caused by overexposure to 1,2-dichlolopropane (1,2-DCP) and/or dichloromethane (DCM). Moreover, the inflammatory response pathway was induced by 1,2-DCP exposure in a human cholangiocyte cell line, and iNOS expression was positive in occupational cholangiocarcinomas. These results suggest that 1,2-DCP triggers an inflammatory response in biliary epithelial cells by upregulating iNOS and <i>N</i>-nitroso-glycine bile acid conjugate production, resulting in cholangiocarcinoma via DNA adduct formation.