Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the presence of one or more specific ligands in a sample, said method comprising: a) contacting the sample with an array of cell lines, each cell line comprising a reporter gene construct responding to a cellular pathway which is induced by a different specific ligand; b) measuring the activity of the reporter gene in the individual cell lines; c) comparing the measured activity in the individual cell lines; and d) determining the presence of the ligands in the sample based upon said comparison.

Abstract: A recombinant cell line deposited at the American Type Culture Collection under ATCC accession number CRL-12286, also known as the mouse H1L1.1 cell line, has been made by using genetic engineering techniques for inserting dioxin responsive elements upstream of a luciferase reporter gene, and then, transfecting the resultant recombinant expression plasmid, identified as pGudLuc1.1, into mouse hepatoma cells. The mouse H1L1.1 cell line is useful in a method for the quantitative analysis of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in samples.