The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Regulates Tissue-Specific Dioxin-Dependent and Dioxin-Independent Gene Batteries: Liver
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ABSTRACT: The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a widely-expressed ligand-dependent transcription-factor that mediates cellular responses to dioxins and other planar aromatic hydrocarbons. Indeed, AHR-null mice are refractory to the physiological effects of dioxin-exposure. Although some mechanistic aspects of AHR activity are well understood, the tissue-specificity of AHR effects remains unclear, both during development and following administration of exogenous ligands. Previously we employed studied the transcriptional responses of wild-type and AHR-null C57BL/6J mice to dioxin-exposure. We found that essentially all hepatic effects of dioxin were mediated by the AHR, and that large numbers of genes were affected by dioxin exposure. Surprisingly, we also identified a large effect of AHR genotype, even in the absence of dioxin-exposure. To help assess the tissue-specificity of AHR activity we replicated that prior study in the kidney from the same animals previously studied, and extensively compared the hepatic and renal transcriptional profiles. We find that dioxin-exposure causes essentially no transcriptional effects in the absence of a functional AHR in either liver or kidney. Surprisingly, aside from a number of well-established AHR target genes, dioxin-exposure has few effects in animals harbouring a wild-type AHR. By contrast, AHR genotype profoundly remodels the renal transcriptome, and is associated with perturbation of specific functional pathways and with specific DNA motifs. Our results demonstrate the importance of inter-tissue comparisons and highlight the basal role of AHR activity in renal and hepatic development or normal physiology. Two-Factor, Two-Level. AHRnull and wildtype mice were treated with dioxin (TCDD) or corn oil vehicle. 3 replicates per treatment for AHRnull mice, 6 replicates of dioxin treatment for wildtype mice, and 5 replicates of corn oil treatment for wildtype mice.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
SUBMITTER: Paul Boutros
PROVIDER: E-GEOD-15858 | biostudies-arrayexpress |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress
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