ToxSci Advance Access published online on November 8, 2006
Toxicological Sciences, doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfl163
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1 Neurotoxicology & Epigenomics Laboratory (NEL), Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Lead is a highly neurotoxic metal and the developing central nervous system is particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead. In this study, transcription factors (TFs) that are altered due to lead exposure were identified using macroarray anlaysis. Rat pups were lactationally exposed to 0.2% lead acetate from birth through weaning. Changes in the developmental profiles of 30 TFs were screened in hippocampal tissue on postnatal day (PND) 5, 15 and 30. The temporal patterns of some TFs were transiently up-regulated or repressed following lead-exposure in a stage-specific manner; however Oct-2, which is involved in the regulation of key developmental processes, exhibited sustained elevations during the entire period of study. Lead-induced elevation of Oct-2 was validated by RT-PCR analysis; however, significant elevation of Oct-2 mRNA expression was detected only on PND 5. The DNA-binding activity and protein levels of Oct-2 were further evaluated and found to be consistently induced on PND 5. The elevations observed in Oct-2 mRNA and protein levels as well as DNA-binding activity on PND 5 suggests that developmental maintenance of Oct-2 DNA binding could be impacted through de novo synthesis. These findings identify Oct-2 as a potential molecular target for Pb and suggest that Oct-2 may be associated with lead-induced disturbances in gene expression.
Received August 23, 2006
Accepted October 26, 2006
Neurotoxicology
Lead Exposure: Expression and Acitivity Levels of Oct-2 in the Developing Rat Brain
Saleh A. Bakheet 1, Md. Riyaz Basha 1, Hui Cai 2, and Nasser H. Zawia 1 *
2 Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center Vanderbilt- Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232
Nasser H. Zawia, E-mail: nzawia{at}uri.edu
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