Benzo[a]pyrene exposure affects colorectal cancer susceptibility by regulating ERβ-mediated LINC02977 transcription

•The exposure level of benzo[a]pyrene significantly increases in colorectal cancer patients than in healthy controls.•HDAC2-induced deacetylation of the ERβ promoter decreases ERβ expression.•Benzo[a]pyrene competes with endogenous E2 for binding to ERβ, leading to abnormal ERβ activation.•rs6477937 is an ERβ binding-disrupting SNP that mediates allele-specific expression of LINC02977 in a long-range chromosomal interaction manner.