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An Ex vivo Culture System to Study Thyroid Development
08:33

An Ex vivo Culture System to Study Thyroid Development

Published on: June 6, 2014

Thyroid hormone regulation of hepatic genes in vivo detected by complementary DNA microarray

X Feng1, Y Jiang, P Meltzer

  • 1Molecular Regulation and Neuroendocrinology Section, Clinical Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.

Molecular Endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.)
|July 14, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Thyroid hormone impacts liver gene expression, regulating diverse cellular functions. This study identified 55 new genes, many negatively controlled by thyroid hormone, using advanced microarray technology.

Area of Science:

  • Hormone research
  • Molecular biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • The liver is a key target organ for thyroid hormone.
  • Limited knowledge exists regarding specific hepatic target genes and their regulation patterns by thyroid hormone.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify novel hepatic genes regulated by thyroid hormone.
  • To elucidate the regulatory patterns of thyroid hormone on gene expression in the liver.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative fluorescent cDNA microarray analysis was employed.
  • Hepatic RNA from T3-treated and hypothyroid mice was used.
  • Gene expression changes were compared using computer analysis on a 2225-gene microarray.

Main Results:

  • Fifty-five genes were found to be regulated by thyroid hormone.
  • 45 of these genes were previously unknown to be thyroid hormone-responsive.
  • Unexpectedly, 41 genes were negatively regulated, while 14 were positively regulated.
  • Thyroid hormone influenced diverse pathways including gluconeogenesis, lipogenesis, and apoptosis.

Conclusions:

  • This study significantly expands the known repertoire of thyroid hormone-responsive genes in the liver.
  • Microarray technology offers a powerful approach for studying in vivo hormonal regulation of gene expression.
  • Thyroid hormone exerts broad control over hepatic cellular functions, including metabolism and cell fate.

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