Five genome-wide microarrays were used to indentify gene expression in exposure to Tributyltin, Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and 2, 3, 7, 8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

Five genome-wide microarrays were used to indentify gene expression in exposure to Tributyltin, Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and 2, 3, 7, 8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. The three environmental chemicals are persistent in environment and cause continuous toxical effects on human and aquatic life. Tetrahymena thermophila has the potential as a toxical model. The genome-wide microarray in Tetrahymena thermophila exposed to these toxicants was analyzed. First, genes differentially expressed under the treatment of each toxicant were identified and then their functions were categorized using GO enrichment analysis. The results may suggest that Tetrahymena thermophila is able to reflect different mechanism of different toxic-type toxicants which are similar to those in multicellular organisms. Regarding the complexity of TCDD effects, context likelihood of relatedness method (CLR) was applied to construct a TCDD-relevant network. General functions of the network are related to the epigenetic mechanism of TCDD. Based on the network analysis, a model of TCDD effect on T. thermophila was infered. Thus, Tetrahymena has the potential to be a good unicellular eukaryotic model for toxic mechanism research at genome level. Tetrahymena thermophila CU428 cells were cultured using 1XSPP, 30 degree, 100 rpm shaking, until 300,000 cells/ml. Cells at 300,000 cells/ml was incubated in SPP medium were treated. Two microarrays were used 4.02μl DMSO per ml SPP as the solvent and control; One microarray for 5 ppb TBT treatment 24 hours; One microarray for 1 ppb TCDD treatment 24 hours; One microarray for 4ppm DDT treatment for 24 hours.