ABSTRACT: Analysis of gene expression changes due to lack of AhR in NK cells. Cytokine activated NK cells upregulate expression of AhR and display homeostatic and functional defects. Goal of this study was to identify gene expression changes associated with NK cell activity.
Project description:Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand activated transcription factor that plays a critical role in shaping innate and adaptive immune responses. However, the molecular mechanism by which AHR regulates the function of human NK cells remains largely unknown. Here, we use RNA sequencing on IL21-expanded NK cells in the presence of AHR agonists and antagonist to demonstrate that AHR directly regulates the expression of known regulators of phenotype, development, metabolism, and function.
Project description:The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) regulates the expression of numerous genes in response to activation by agonists including xenobiotics. Although it is well appreciated that environmental signals and cell intrinsic features may modulate this transcriptional response, how it is mechanistically achieved remains poorly understood. We show that Hexokinase 2 (HK2) a metabolic enzyme fuelling cancer cell growth, is a transcriptional target of AHR as well as a modulator of its activity. Expression of HK2 is positively regulated by AHR upon exposure to agonists both in human cells and in mice lung tissues. Conversely, over-expression of HK2 regulates the abundance of many proteins involved in the regulation of AHR signalling and these changes are linked with altered AHR expression levels and transcriptional activity. HK2 expression also shows a negative correlation with AHR promoter methylation in tumours, and these tumours with high HK2 expression and low AHR methylation are associated with a worse overall survival in patients. In sum, our study provides novel insights into how AHR signalling is regulated which may help our understanding of the context-specific effects of this pathway and may have implications in cancer.
Project description:To investigate the global genes regulated by AHR, high-throughput mRNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed to compare the expression profile between DLD-1 cells transfected with control siRNA or AHR siRNA.
Project description:The transcriptional program of early embryonic development is tightly regulated by a set of well-defined transcription factors that suppress premature expression of differentiation genes and sustain the pluripotent identity. It is generally accepted that this program can be perturbed by environmental factors such as chemical pollutants, however the precise molecular mechanisms remain unknown. The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) is a widely expressed nuclear receptor that senses environmental stimuli and modulates target gene expression. Here, we show that ectopic activation of AHR during early differentiation disrupts the differentiation program via the chromatin remodeling complex NuRD. The activated AHR/NuRD complex altered the expression of differentiation-specific genes that control the first two developmental decisions without affecting the pluripotency program. These findings identify a novel mechanism that allows environmental stimuli to disrupt embryonic development through AHR signaling.
Project description:Dioxin-like chemicals are well-known for their ability to upregulate expression of numerous genes via the AH receptor (AHR). However, recent transcriptomic analyses in several laboratories indicate that dioxin-like chemicals or AHR genotype itself also can downregulate levels of mRNAs encoded by numerous genes. The mechanism responsible for such downregulation is unknown. We hypothesized that microRNAs (miRNAs), which have emerged as powerful negative regulators of mRNA levels in several systems, might be responsible for mRNA downregulation in dioxin/AHR pathways. We conducted a thorough investigation to address the following questions: (1) does AHR genotype itself affect constitutive expression of microRNAs? (2) does TCDD affect microRNA levels and, if so, is this response dependent on the AHR? (3) does TCDD affect microRNA levels differently in animals that are sensitive to dioxin toxicity versus those that are dioxin-resistant? We used the Exiqon miRNA array platform as well as quantitative RT-PCR to measure miRNA levels in wildtype vs. Ahr-null mice. Treatment with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in vivo caused few changes in miRNA levels in mouse livers and those changes that were statistically significant were of modest magnitude. AHR genotype had little effect on hepatic miRNA levels, either in constitutive expression or in response to TCDD M-bM-^@M-^S only a few miRNAs differed in expression between Ahr-null mice compared to mice with wildtype AHR. It is unlikely that mRNA downregulation by dioxins is mediated by miRNAs, nor are miRNAs likely to play a significant role in dioxin toxicity in adult mouse liver. Manuscript Submitted: Moffat ID, Boutros PC, Celius T, Pohjanvirta R & Okey AB. Micro-RNAs in rodent liver are refractory to dioxin treatment. Toxicological Sciences May, 2007. Keywords: miRNA expression, gene knockout, response to xenobiotics, genetic modification This was a two-factor, two-level design, the factors being genotype Ahr+/+ (WT) or Ahr-/- (KO) and treatment TCDD-treated (T) or vehicle control (C). Each total-RNA sample was separately labeled either with a Hy3- or a Hy5-fluorophore (Exiqon). Hy3- and Hy5-labeled samples were co-hybridized to an array. Dye-reversal was performed to eliminate dye bias. We tested 3 TCDD-treated and 3 control mice in the Ahr-/- groups and 4 TCDD-treated and 4 control mice in the Ahr+/+ groups. Technical replication of 1 TCDD-treated and 1 control mice in the Ahr-/- groups was performed. A loop design was used.
Project description:Iron metabolism is pivotal for cell fitness in the mammalian host. However, its role in group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) is unknown. Here we show that transferrin receptor CD71-mediated iron metabolism cell-intrinsically controls ILC3 maintenance, cytokine production and host protection against Citrobacter rodentium infection, and metabolically affects mitochondrial respiration by switching of oxidative phosphorylation toward glycolysis. Iron deprivation or Tfrc deficiency reduces the expression and/or activity of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr), a ligand-dependent transcription factor and a key ILC3 regulator. Furthermore, consistent with its role in generation of Ahr ligand, microbiome exerts a negative impact on CD71 expression in an Ahr-dependent manner. Genetic ablation or activation of Ahr in ILC3s leads to CD71 upregulation or downregulation, respectively, suggesting an active suppression of CD71 by Ahr. Iron overload partially restores defective ILC3 compartment in the small intestine of Ahr-deficient mice, representing compensatory action of CD71 upregulation during Ahr deficiency. Mechanistically, Ahr directly binds to the promoter region of the Tfrc locus to inhibit Tfrc transcription. These data collectively demonstrate an under-appreciated role of the Ahr-CD71-iron axis in regulation of ILC3 maintenance and function.
Project description:Dioxin-like chemicals are well-known for their ability to upregulate expression of numerous genes via the AH receptor (AHR). However, recent transcriptomic analyses in several laboratories indicate that dioxin-like chemicals or AHR genotype itself also can downregulate levels of mRNAs encoded by numerous genes. The mechanism responsible for such downregulation is unknown. We hypothesized that microRNAs (miRNAs), which have emerged as powerful negative regulators of mRNA levels in several systems, might be responsible for mRNA downregulation in dioxin/AHR pathways. We conducted a thorough investigation to address the following questions: (1) does AHR genotype itself affect constitutive expression of microRNAs? (2) does TCDD affect microRNA levels and, if so, is this response dependent on the AHR? (3) does TCDD affect microRNA levels differently in animals that are sensitive to dioxin toxicity versus those that are dioxin-resistant? We used the Exiqon miRNA array platform as well as quantitative RT-PCR to measure miRNA levels in wildtype vs. Ahr-null mice. Treatment with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in vivo caused few changes in miRNA levels in mouse livers and those changes that were statistically significant were of modest magnitude. AHR genotype had little effect on hepatic miRNA levels, either in constitutive expression or in response to TCDD – only a few miRNAs differed in expression between Ahr-null mice compared to mice with wildtype AHR. It is unlikely that mRNA downregulation by dioxins is mediated by miRNAs, nor are miRNAs likely to play a significant role in dioxin toxicity in adult mouse liver. Manuscript Submitted: Moffat ID, Boutros PC, Celius T, Pohjanvirta R & Okey AB. Micro-RNAs in rodent liver are refractory to dioxin treatment. Toxicological Sciences May, 2007. Keywords: miRNA expression, gene knockout, response to xenobiotics, genetic modification
Project description:The AhR is a ligand activated transcription factor that may be important in normal skin physiology. We compared gene expression profiles between AhR Wt and AhR KO primary mouse keratinocyte cultures. We identified 391 genes that were differentially expressed with a 1.5 fold cutoff and p<.05, and identified the AhR as an important regulator of genes involved in normal epidermal differentiation. AhR Wt primary keratinocyte cultures (n=4) were compared with AhR KO primary keratinocyte cultures (n=3)