Short-time gene expression response to valproic acid and valproic acid analogs in mouse embryonic stem cells.

Prediction of developmental toxicity in vitro could be based on short-time toxicogenomic endpoints in embryo-derived cell lines. Microarray studies in P19 mouse embryocarcinoma cells and mouse embryos have indicated that valproic acid (VPA), an inducer of neural tube defects, deregulates the expression of many genes, including those critically involved in neural tube development. In this study, we exposed undifferentiated R1 mouse embryonic stem cells to VPA and VPA analogs for 6 h and used CodeLink whole-genome expression microarrays to define VPA-responsive genes correlating with teratogenicity. Compared with the nonteratogenic analog 2-ethyl-4-methylpentanoic acid, VPA and the teratogenic VPA analog (S)-2-pentyl-4-pentynoic acid deregulated a much larger number of genes. Five genes (of ∼2500 array probes correlating with the separation) were sufficient to effectively separate teratogens from nonteratogens. A large fraction of the target genes correlating with teratogenicity are functionally related to embryonic development and morphogenesis, including neural tube formation and closure. Similar responses in R1 were found for most genes previously identified as VPA responsive in P19 and embryos. A subset of target genes was evaluated as candidate markers predictive of potential teratogenicity against a range of known teratogens using TaqMan expression arrays. These marker genes showed a positive predictive value for the teratogens butyrate and trichostatin A, which like VPA and (S)-2-pentyl-4-pentynoic acid are known histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors but not for compounds that are likely to act by other mechanisms. This indicates that HDAC inhibition may be a major mechanism by which VPA induces gene deregulation and possibly teratogenicity.

Early transcriptional responses in mouse embryos as a basis for selection of molecular markers predictive of valproic acid teratogenicity.

Cell-based in vitro assays would potentially reduce animal testing in preclinical drug development. Mouse embryos exposed to the teratogenic drug valproic acid (VPA) in utero for 1.5, 3 or 6h on gestational day 8 were analyzed using microarrays. Significant effects on gene expression were observed already at 1.5h, and 85 probes were deregulated across all time points. To find transcriptional markers of VPA-induced developmental toxicity, the in vivo data were compared to previous in vitro data on embryonal carcinoma P19 cells exposed to VPA for 1.5, 6 or 24h. Maximal concordance between embryos and cells was at the 6-h time points, with 163 genes showing similar deregulation. Developmentally important Gene Ontology terms, such as "organ morphogenesis" and "tube development" were overrepresented among putative VPA target genes. The genes Gja1, Hap1, Sall2, H1f0,Cyp26a1, Fgf15, Otx2, and Lin7b emerged as candidate in vitro markers of potential VPA-induced teratogenicity.

In vitro neurotoxicity of PBDE-99: immediate and concentration-dependent effects on protein expression in cerebral cortex cells.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are commonly used flame retardants in various consumer products. Pre- and postnatal exposure to congeners of PBDEs disrupts normal brain development in rodents. Two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) was used to analyze concentration-dependent differences in protein expression in cultured cortical cells isolated from rat fetuses (GD 21) after 24 h exposure to PBDE-99 (3, 10, or 30 microM). Changes on a post-translational level were studied using a 1 h exposure to 30 microM PBDE-99. The effects of 24 h exposure to 3 and 30 microM PBDE-99 on mRNA levels were measured using oligonucleotide microarrays. A total of 62, 46, and 443 proteins were differentially expressed compared to controls after 24 h of exposure to 3, 10, and 30 microM PDBE-99, respectively. Of these, 48, 43, and 238 proteins were successfully identified, respectively. We propose that the biological effects of low-concentration PBDE-99 exposure are fundamentally different than effects of high-concentration exposure. Low-dose PBDE-99 exposure induced marked effects on cytoskeletal proteins, which was not correlated to cytotoxicity or major morphological effects, suggesting that other more regulatory aspects of cytoskeletal functions may be affected. Interestingly, 0.3 and 3 microM, but not 10 or 30 microM increased the expression of phosphorylated (active) Gap43, perhaps reflecting effects on neurite extension processes.

Valproic acid-induced deregulation in vitro of genes associated in vivo with neural tube defects.

The utility of an in vitro system to search for molecular targets and markers of developmental toxicity was explored, using microarrays to detect genes susceptible to deregulation by the teratogen valproic acid (VPA) in the pluripotent mouse embryonal carcinoma cell line P19. Total RNA extracted from P19 cells cultured in the absence or presence of 1, 2.5, or 10mM VPA for 1.5, 6, or 24 h was subjected to replicated microarray analysis, using CodeLink UniSet I Mouse 20K Expression Bioarrays. A moderated F-test revealed a significant VPA response for 2972 (p < 10(-3)) array probes (19.4% of the filtered gene list), 421 of which were significant across all time points. In a core subset of VPA target genes whose expression was downregulated (68 genes) or upregulated (125 genes) with high probability (p < 10(-7)) after both 1.5 and 6 h of VPA exposure, there was a significant enrichment of the biological process Gene Ontology term transcriptional regulation among downregulated genes, and apoptosis among upregulated, and two of the downregulated genes (Folr1 and Gtf2i) have a knockout phenotype comprising exencephaly, the major malformation induced by VPA in mice. The VPA-induced gene expression response in P19 cells indicated that approximately 30% of the approximately 200 genes known from genetic mouse models to be associated with neural tube defects may be potential VPA targets, suggestive of a combined deregulation of multiple genes as a possible mechanism of VPA teratogenicity. Gene expression responses related to other known effects of VPA (histone deacetylase inhibition, G(1)-phase cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis) were also identified. This study indicates that toxicogenomic responses to a teratogenic compound in vitro may correlate with known in vitro and in vivo effects, and that short-time (< or =6 h) exposures in such an in vitro system could provide a useful component in mechanistic studies and screening tests in developmental toxicology.

Exposure to brominated flame retardant PBDE-99 affects cytoskeletal protein expression in the neonatal mouse cerebral cortex.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are environmental contaminants found in human and animal tissues worldwide. Neonatal exposure to the flame retardant 2,2', 4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-99) disrupts normal brain development in mice, and results in disturbed spontaneous behavior in the adult. The mechanisms underlying the late effects of early exposure are not clear. To gain insight into the initial neurodevelopmental damage inflicted by PBDE-99, we investigated the short-term effects of PBDE-99 on protein expression in the developing cerebral cortex of neonatal mice, and the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of PBDE-99 in primary cultures of fetal rat cortical cells. We used two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) to analyze protein samples isolated from the cortex of NMRI mice 24h after exposure to a single oral dose of 12 mg/kg PBDE-99 on post-natal day 10. Protein resolution was enhanced by sample pre-fractionation. In the cell model, we determined cell viability using the trypan blue exclusion assay, and apoptosis using immunocytochemical detection of cleaved caspase-3. We determined the identity of 111 differentially expressed proteins, 32 (29%) of which are known to be cytoskeleton-related. Similar to previous findings in the striatum, we found elevated levels of the neuron growth-associated protein Gap43 in the cortex. In cultured cortical cells, a high concentration of PBDE-99 (30 microM) induced cell death without any apparent increase in caspase-3 activity. These results indicate that the permanent neurological damage induced by PBDE-99 during the brain growth spurt involve detrimental effects on cytoskeletal regulation and neuronal maturation in the developing cerebral cortex.

Molecular targets and early response biomarkers for the prediction of developmental toxicity in vitro.

There is an urgent need for new in vitro methods to predict the potential developmental toxicity of candidate drugs in the early lead identification and optimisation process. This would lead to a reduction in the total number of animals required in full-scale developmental toxicology studies, and would improve the efficiency of drug development. However, suitable in vitro systems permitting robust high-throughput screening for this purpose, for the most part, remain to be designed. An understanding of the mechanisms involved in developmental toxicity may be essential for the validation of in vitro tests. Early response biomarkers - even a single one - could contribute to reducing assay time and facilitating automation. The use of toxicogenomics approaches to study in vitro and in vivo models in parallel may be a powerful tool in defining such mechanisms of action and the molecular targets of toxicity, and also for use in finding possible biomarkers of early response. Using valproic acid as a model substance, the use of DNA microarrays to identify teratogen-responsive genes in cell models is discussed. It is concluded that gene expression in P19 mouse embryocarcinoma cells represents a potentially suitable assay system, which could be readily used in a tiered testing system for developmental toxicity testing.

Cadmium-induced gene expression changes in the mouse embryo, and the influence of pretreatment with zinc.

Cadmium (Cd) administered to female C57BL/6 mice on gestation day 8 induces a high incidence of anterior neural tube defects (exencephaly). This adverse effect can be attenuated by maternal pretreatment with zinc (Zn). In this study we used replicated microarray analysis and real-time PCR to investigate gene expression changes induced in the embryo 5 and 10h after maternal Cd exposure in the absence or presence of Zn pretreatment. We report nine genes with a transcriptional response induced by Cd, none of which was influenced by Zn pretreatment, and two genes induced only by combined maternal Cd exposure and Zn pretreatment. We discuss the results in relation to the possibility that Cd is largely excluded from the embryo, that the teratogenic effects of Cd may be secondary to toxicity in extraembryonic tissues, and that the primary protective role of Zn may not be to reverse Cd-induced transcription in the embryo.

Sex-dependent gene expression in early brain development of chicken embryos.

BACKGROUND: Differentiation of the brain during development leads to sexually dimorphic adult reproductive behavior and other neural sex dimorphisms. Genetic mechanisms independent of steroid hormones produced by the gonads have recently been suggested to partly explain these dimorphisms. RESULTS: Using cDNA microarrays and real-time PCR we found gene expression differences between the male and female embryonic brain (or whole head) that may be independent of morphological differentiation of the gonads. Genes located on the sex chromosomes (ZZ in males and ZW in females) were common among the differentially expressed genes, several of which (WPKCI-8, HINT, MHM non-coding RNA) have previously been implicated in avian sex determination. A majority of the identified genes were more highly expressed in males. Three of these genes (CDK7, CCNH and BTF2-P44) encode subunits of the transcription factor IIH complex, indicating a role for this complex in neuronal differentiation. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study provides novel insights into sexually dimorphic gene expression in the embryonic chicken brain and its possible involvement in sex differentiation of the nervous system in birds.

Proteomic evaluation of neonatal exposure to 2,2 ,4,4 ,5-pentabromodiphenyl ether.

Exposure to the brominated flame retardant 2,2 ,4,4 ,5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-99) during the brain growth spurt disrupts normal brain development in mice and results in disturbed spontaneous behavior in adulthood. The neurodevelopmental toxicity of PBDE-99 has been reported to affect the cholinergic and catecholaminergic systems. In this study we use a proteomics approach to study the early effect of PBDE-99 in two distinct regions of the neonatal mouse brain, the striatum and the hippocampus. A single oral dose of PBDE-99 (12 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle was administered to male NMRI mice on neonatal day 10, and the striatum and the hippocampus were isolated. Using two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE), we found 40 and 56 protein spots with significantly (p < 0.01) altered levels in the striatum and the hippocampus, respectively. We used matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF-MS) to determine the protein identity of 11 spots from the striatum and 10 from the hippocampus. We found that the levels of proteins involved in neurodegeneration and neuroplasticity (e.g., Gap-43/neuromodulin, stathmin) were typically altered in the striatum, and proteins involved in metabolism and energy production [e.g., alpha-enolase; gamma-enolase; ATP synthase, H+ transporting, mitochondrial F1 complex, beta subunit (Atp5b); and alpha-synuclein] were typically altered in the hippocampus. Interestingly, many of the identified proteins have been linked to protein kinase C signaling. In conclusion, we identify responses to early exposure to PBDE-99 that could contribute to persistent neurotoxic effects. This study also shows the usefulness of proteomics to identify potential biomarkers of developmental neurotoxicity of organohalogen compounds.

Valproic acid teratogenicity: a toxicogenomics approach.

Embryonic development is a highly coordinated set of processes that depend on hierarchies of signaling and gene regulatory networks, and the disruption of such networks may underlie many cases of chemically induced birth defects. The antiepileptic drug valproic acid (VPA) is a potent inducer of neural tube defects (NTDs) in human and mouse embryos. As with many other developmental toxicants however, the mechanism of VPA teratogenicity is unknown. Using microarray analysis, we compared the global gene expression responses to VPA in mouse embryos during the critical stages of teratogen action in vivo with those in cultured P19 embryocarcinoma cells in vitro. Among the identified VPA-responsive genes, some have been associated previously with NTDs or VPA effects [vinculin, metallothioneins 1 and 2 (Mt1, Mt2), keratin 1-18 (Krt1-18)], whereas others provide novel putative VPA targets, some of which are associated with processes relevant to neural tube formation and closure [transgelin 2 (Tagln2), thyroid hormone receptor interacting protein 6, galectin-1 (Lgals1), inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (Idb1), fatty acid synthase (Fasn), annexins A5 and A11 (Anxa5, Anxa11)], or with VPA effects or known molecular actions of VPA (Lgals1, Mt1, Mt2, Id1, Fasn, Anxa5, Anxa11, Krt1-18). A subset of genes with a transcriptional response to VPA that is similar in embryos and the cell model can be evaluated as potential biomarkers for VPA-induced teratogenicity that could be exploited directly in P19 cell-based in vitro assays. As several of the identified genes may be activated or repressed through a pathway of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition and specificity protein 1 activation, our data support a role of HDAC as an important molecular target of VPA action in vivo.