The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) has a fundamental role during postnatal liver development and is essential for mediating dioxin toxicity. However, the genetic programs mediating, both, the toxic and physiological effects downstream of the transcription factor AhR are in major parts unknown. We have identified the proto-oncogene c-jun as a novel target gene of AhR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArsenite is a naturally occurring environmental pollutant of major concern, since adverse health effects including cancer of skin and internal organs have been attributed to chronic arsenic exposure especially via drinking water. Arsenite is not a significant inducer of point mutations but exerts clastogenic activities and interferes with various DNA repair systems at concentrations in the low micromolar range. Nevertheless, no single DNA repair protein exquisitely sensitive to arsenic has been identified.
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