In vivo measurement of Transcription Factor Activity in Mouse Liver (2010)

Undergraduates: Travis Book, Daniel M. Gatti, Sergei Romanov, Masato Tsuchiya, Ivan Rusyn

Faculty Advisor: Ivan Rusyn
Department: Biology

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Transcription Factor (TF) analysis has traditionally been limited to only a few factors per experiment. Using a novel multiplex plasmid reporter system we measured the activity of 45 Transcription Factors from a single tissue sample. With the use of this system, the basal liver TF activity was measured in multiple strains of inbred mice. These strains of mice were derived from different genetic backgrounds and are known to have differences in their Toxicological and Pharmacological responses. These differences are partially caused by differences in gene expression which in turn are caused by differences in TF activity. We measured basal TF activity in 20 inbred strains and report preliminary results here showing significant differences in TF activity between strains and correlation with hepatic gene expression.