Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
Toxicol Sci. 2012 Aug;128(2):517-23. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfs165. Epub 2012 May 1.
The spread of chemicals, including insecticides, into the environment often raises public health concerns, as exemplified by a recent epidemiologic study associating in utero piperonyl butoxide (PBO) exposure with delayed mental development. The insecticide synergist PBO is listed among the top 10 chemicals detected in indoor dust; a systematic assessment of risks from PBO exposure, as for many toxicants unfortunately, may be underdeveloped when important biological targets that can cause toxicity are unknown. Hedgehog/Smoothened signaling is critical in neurological development. This study was designed to use novel high-throughput in vitro drug screening technology to identify modulators of Hedgehog signaling in environmental chemicals to assist the assessment of their potential risks. A directed library of 1408 environmental toxicants was screened for Hedgehog/Smoothened antagonist activity using a high-content assay that evaluated the interaction between Smoothened and βarrestin2 green fluorescent protein. PBO was identified as a Hedgehog/Smoothened antagonist capable of inhibiting Hedgehog signaling. We found that PBO bound Smoothened and blocked Smoothened overexpression-induced Gli-luciferase reporter activity but had no effect on Gli-1 downstream transcriptional factor-induced Gli activity. PBO inhibited Sonic Hedgehog ligand-induced Gli signaling and mouse cerebellar granular precursor cell proliferation. Moreover, PBO disrupted zebrafish development. Our findings demonstrate the value of high-throughput target-based screening strategies that can successfully evaluate large numbers of environmental toxicants and identify key targets and unknown biological activity that is helpful in properly assessing potential risks.
化学物质(包括杀虫剂)向环境中的扩散常常引起公众健康问题,最近的一项流行病学研究将胎儿时期接触胡椒基丁醚(PBO)与精神发育迟缓联系起来,就是一个很好的例证。杀虫剂增效剂 PBO 被列为室内灰尘中检测到的前 10 种化学物质之一;与许多有毒物质一样,当未知重要的毒性生物靶标时,对 PBO 暴露风险的系统性评估可能还不够发达。 Hedgehog/Smoothened 信号通路在神经发育中起着至关重要的作用。本研究旨在利用新型高通量体外药物筛选技术,鉴定环境化学物质中 Hedgehog 信号通路的调节剂,以协助评估其潜在风险。使用一种评估 Smoothened 和βarrestin2 绿色荧光蛋白之间相互作用的高内涵测定法,对 1408 种环境毒物的定向文库进行了 Hedgehog/Smoothened 拮抗剂活性筛选。发现 PBO 是一种能够抑制 Hedgehog 信号通路的 Hedgehog/Smoothened 拮抗剂。我们发现 PBO 结合 Smoothened 并阻断 Smoothened 过表达诱导的 Gli 荧光素酶报告基因活性,但对 Gli-1 下游转录因子诱导的 Gli 活性没有影响。PBO 抑制 Sonic Hedgehog 配体诱导的 Gli 信号通路和小鼠小脑颗粒前体细胞增殖。此外,PBO 破坏了斑马鱼的发育。我们的研究结果表明,高通量基于靶标的筛选策略具有很高的价值,该策略可以成功评估大量的环境毒物,并识别关键的靶标和未知的生物活性,有助于正确评估潜在风险。
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