In selleck order to concisely visualize the integration of the DRE, ChIP chip and gene expression analyses, Circos plots were generated for the genome and individual chromosomes. The plots further illustrate the diversity in AhR enrichment locations in relation to the genomic position of dysregulated genes. Further analysis of the responsive genes found that most were induced by TCDD at all time points. Greater than 82% of the induced genes at 2 or 4 hrs had signif icant AhR enrichment, and more than 62% of them contained at least one DRE core suggesting that regula tion is DRE dependent fashion. In contrast, only 35% of the 691 genes induced at 168 hrs, exhibited AhR enrichment with 26% possessing a DRE core suggesting that these are secondary gene expression responses.

Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries Interestingly, down regulated genes associated with AhR enrichment were relatively consistent across all time points. Approximately one third of the down regulated genes appear to be AhR regulated with DRE involvement. Functional analysis of the 900 differentially expressed genes associated with AhR enrichment was Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries performed using DAVID. The most over represented functions were associated with lipid metabolic processes, consistent with the induced fatty liver phenotype. IPA analysis of these genes also identified lipid metabolism as an enriched molecular and cellular function. In addition, de novo motif analysis identified binding sites for TFs associated with lipid metabolism and transport. The induction of AhR regulated xenobiotic enzymes, such as cytochrome P450s, glutathione S transferases and UDP glucuronosyltransferases, hallmarks of TCDD exposure, were also identified as an enriched clus ter.

Although AhR mediates Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries the expression of enzymes involved in xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, including NADP dehydrogenase, quinone 1 and UDP glucose dehydrogenase as well as several Ugt and Gst isoforms, they are also regulated by nuclear fac tor, erythroid derived 2, like 2 via antioxidant Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries response elements in response to oxidative stress. Recent studies with AhR and Nrf2 null mice report that TCDD induction of Nqo1 is AhR and Nrf2 dependent. Furthermore, specific Ugt and Gst iso forms induced by TCDD require Nrf2. Collectively, these responses are referred to as the TCDD inducible AhR Nrf2 gene battery. ChIP chip and gene expression analysis indicates that Nqo1, Gstm1, Gstm2, Ugdh and Nrf2 induction is associated with AhR enrichment.

Although supportive of the Nrf2 dependency model, these data do not distinguish if these are secondary responses mediated by Nrf2 alone, or involve an AhR Nrf2 interaction. In contrast, Gsta1 and Ugt2b35 induc tion occurred independently of AhR enrichment, sug gesting they may only be dependent on Nrf2. Immune cell accumulation following selleck GSK2118436 a single acute dose of TCDD at 168 hrs is presumed to be a secondary response to hepatic injury or fatty acid accumulation.