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Dietary protein quantity and quality affect rat hepatic gene expression
Yoshie Endo1, Zhengwei Fu, Keiko Abe
1Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
The Journal of Nutrition
|December 7, 2002
Summary
Dietary protein impacts gene expression in rat liver, with protein-free and wheat gluten diets altering hundreds of genes. This reveals new molecular insights into protein malnutrition effects.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Nutritional Science
- Genomics
Background:
- Dietary protein is crucial for physiologic and pathologic homeostasis.
- Understanding protein malnutrition's molecular effects requires detailed gene expression analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively understand molecular mechanisms of dietary protein effects on gene expression.
- To investigate gene expression changes in rat liver under protein malnutrition.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the GeneChip microarray system for high-throughput gene expression profiling.
- Compared gene expression in rats fed protein-free or wheat gluten diets against a casein-fed control group.
Main Results:
- A protein-free diet altered expression of 281 genes (twofold or more) in rat liver.
- A wheat gluten diet affected 111 genes compared to the casein diet.
- Identified novel genes responding to protein nutritional status, including those for Id proteins and cholesterol biosynthesis.
Conclusions:
- Protein malnutrition significantly alters hepatic gene expression profiles.
- This study provides a global view of gene expression changes, highlighting key pathways like cholesterol metabolism.