Work

Characterization of a murine Ahr null allele: involvement of the Ah receptor in hepatic growth and development.

Year: 1996

Type: article

Abstract: The Ah receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates a pleiotropic response to environmental contaminants such as benzo[a]pyrene and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. In an effort to gain insight into the physiological role of the AHR and to develop models useful in risk assessment, gene targeting was used to inactivate the murine Ahr gene by homologous recombination. Ahr-/- mice are viable and fertile but show a spectrum of hepatic defects that indicate a role for the AHR in normal liver growth and development. The Ahr-/- phenotype is most severe between 0-3 weeks of age and involves slowed early growth and hepatic defects, including reduced liver weight, transient microvesicular fatty metamorphosis, prolonged extramedullary hematopoiesis, and portal hypercellularity with thickening and fibrosis.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.93.13.6731

Authors: J V Schmidt, G H Su, J K Reddy, M C Simon, C A Bradfield

Institution: Northwestern University

Language: English

Topic: Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences