CYP1A1 is involved in phase I xenobiotic and drug metabolism (one substrate of it is theophylline). It is inhibited by fluoroquinolones and macrolides and induced by aromatic hydrocarbons.

CYP1A1 is also known as AHH (aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase). It is involved in the metabolic activation of aromatic hydrocarbons (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAH), for example, benzopyrene (BP), by transforming it to an epoxide. In this reaction, the oxidation of benzo[a]pyrene is catalysed by CYP1A1 to form BP-7,8-epoxide, which can be further oxidized by epoxide hydrolase (EH) to form BP-7,8-dihydrodiol. Finally CYP1A1 catalyses this intermediate to form BP-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide, which is the ultimate carcinogen.