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© 2 0 0 2 L a n d e s B i o s c i e n c e . N o t f o r d i s t r i b u t i o n .[Cancer Biology & Research Article A Nucleotide Excision Repair Master-Switch: p53 Regulated Coordinate Induction of Global Genomic Repair Genes ABSTRACTThe tumor suppressor gene p53 is mutated in many human cancers. One of its major roles is as a transcription factor, and its many effector genes control key cellular processes including cell cycle checkpoints and apoptosis. An important role in DNA repair is also emerging for both p53 itself and some of its effector genes. The products of two p53-regulated genes, GADD45a and DDB2, are now known to participate in the global genomic repair (GGR) sub-pathway of nucleotide excision repair (NER). We recently reported the induction of a third GGR gene, XPC, following exposure of normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes to γ-rays. We now show that XPC is induced in a variety of human cell lines in response to both ionizing and ultra-violet (UV) radiation and alkylating agents, and that this induction requires wild-type p53.

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Both qualitative and quantitative patterns of tissue-specific gene expression can be determined using gene profiling. Expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis is an efficient approach not only for gene discovery and examining gene expression, but also for development of molecular resources useful for functional genomics. As part of an ongoing transcriptome analysis of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), EST analysis was conducted for gene annotations and profiling using a complementary DNA library developed from messenger RNA of the spleen. A total of 1204 spleen cDNA clones were analyzed. Of the 1204 clones, 665 clones (55.2%) were identified as orthologs of known genes from other organisms by BLAST searches and 539 clones (44.8%) as unknown gene clones. In total 147 novel genes were identified, and annotations were made to 118 of them. In addition, 389 novel EST clusters were identified. Expression profile was analyzed in relation to metabolic functional groups. A total of 28 known genes were involved in immune functions, of which 10 were identified for the first time in channel catfish. Microsatellite-containing clones were also identified that may be potentially useful for genome mapping. This work contributed to the Catfish Gene Index, and toward a Unigene set useful for functional genomics research concerning spleen gene functions in relation to disease defenses.

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Analysis of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) is an efficient approach for gene discovery, expression profiling, and development of resources useful for functional genomics studies. As part of the transcriptome analysis in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), we have conducted EST analysis using a cDNA library made from the head kidney. We analysed 2228 EST clones. Orthologues were established for 1495 (67.1%) clones representing 748 genes, of which 545 (36.5%) clones were singletons. The remaining 733 (32.9%) clones represent unknown gene clones, for which the number of genes has not yet been determined.

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The pervasive nature of estrogenic industrial and dietary compounds is a growing health concern linked to cancer, obesity, and neurological disorders. Prior analyses of endocrine disruptor action have focused primarily on the short-term consequences of exposure. However, these studies are unlikely to reflect the consequences of constant exposures common to industrialized countries. Here we examined the global effects of long-term endocrine disruption on gene transcription and estrogen signaling. Estrogen-dependent breast cancer cell lines were chronically treated with physiologically relevant levels of bisphenol A or genistein for more than 70 passages. Microarray analysis demonstrated global reprogramming of the transcriptome when compared with a similarly cultured control cell line. Estrogen-responsive targets showed diminished expression in both the presence and absence of estrogen. Estrogen receptor recruitment, H3K4 monomethylation, and deoxyribonuclease accessibility were reduced at nearby response elements. Based on these observations, we investigated the potential of long-term endocrine disruptor exposure to initiate persistent transcriptional reprogramming. Culture of chronically exposed cell lines in the absence of the endocrine disruptors did not reverse many of the signaling defects that accumulated during treatment. Taken together, these data demonstrate that chronic exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds can permanently alter physiological hormone signaling.