RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Immune-Specific Up-Regulation of Adseverin Gene Expression by 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin JF Molecular Pharmacology JO Mol Pharmacol FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP 135 OP 142 DO 10.1124/mol.60.1.135 VO 60 IS 1 A1 Camilla Svensson A1 Katarina Lundberg YR 2001 UL http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/60/1/135.abstract AB To identify genes that are regulated by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and possibly involved in TCDD-induced immunotoxicity, we used the differential display technique to screen for differentially expressed genes in the mouse thymus. Here we show that TCDD increased the expression of adseverin, a Ca2+-dependent, actin-severing protein. The induction of adseverin is dose- and time-dependent in parallel with the induction of CYP1A1, which is currently the most frequently used marker for TCDD exposure. A comparison between mouse strains with different TCDD responsiveness indicated that the induction of adseverin is dependent on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, a transcription factor known to mediate most of TCDD's biological effects. Examination of additional organs revealed that the up-regulation of the adseverin gene expression is immune-specific. Using an anti-adseverin antibody, we confirmed the induction of adseverin by TCDD at the protein level and it was confined to the thymic cortex, which harbors immature thymocytes that are known target cells of TCDD. Considering adseverin's role in actin cytoskeletal reorganization, our observations reveal new mechanistic aspects of how TCDD might exert some of its immunotoxic effects. TCDD2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxinAhRaryl hydrocarbon receptorPBSphosphate-buffered salineFCSfetal calf serumILinterleukinRTreverse transcriptionPCRpolymerase chain reactionHPRThypoxanthine phosphoribosyl nucleotide transferaseabantibodydifferential displaydifferential display RT-PCRbpbase pair(s)PIP2phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphatePLCγphospholipase Cγ