2 or 3 Day Post Amputation Vehicle or TCDD Exposed

Exposures to dioxin, including 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) cause a wide array of toxicities in vertebrates and is mostly considered to be mediated through the inappropriate activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) signaling pathway. Although transcriptional regulation by Ahr is widely studied, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the adverse outcomes after Ahr activation are largely unknown. To identify the important events downstream of AHR activation that play an actual role in the toxic responses, we employed the zebrafish caudal fin regeneration models since Ahr activation blocks the regenerative process. Zebrafish regenerate their caudal fins by an orchestrated progression of cell migration, differentiation and proliferation controlled by a multitude of signaling pathways. This complex process was exploited as an in vivo platform to identify cross talk between Ahr and other signaling pathways. Global genomic analysis was performed in the larval regenerating fin tissue after exposure to TCDD in order to identify genes differentially regulated after Ahr activation. Comparative toxicogenomic analysis revealed that both adult and larval fins respond to TCDD during regeneration with mis-expression of Wnt signaling pathway members and Wnt target genes.

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Mathew LK, Sengupta SS, Ladu J, Andreasen EA, Tanguay RL