Jiangsu Center for Pharmacodynamics Research and Evaluation, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, China Pharmaceutical University, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210009, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Dec 10;22(24):13293. doi: 10.3390/ijms222413293.
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor that regulates a wide range of biological and toxicological effects by binding to specific ligands. AhR ligands exist in various internal and external ecological systems, such as in a wide variety of hydrophobic environmental contaminants and naturally occurring chemicals. Most of these ligands have shown differential responses among different species. Understanding the differences and their mechanisms helps in designing better experimental animal models, improves our understanding of the environmental toxicants related to AhR, and helps to screen and develop new drugs. This review systematically discusses the species differences in AhR activation effects and their modes of action. We focus on the species differences following AhR activation from two aspects: (1) the molecular configuration and activation of AhR and (2) the contrast of cis-acting elements corresponding to AhR. The variations in the responses seen in humans and other species following the activation of the AhR signaling pathway can be attributed to both factors.
芳香烃受体 (AhR) 是一种转录因子，通过与特定配体结合来调节广泛的生物学和毒理学效应。AhR 配体存在于各种内部和外部生态系统中，如各种疏水性环境污染物和天然存在的化学物质。这些配体中的大多数在不同物种中表现出不同的反应。了解这些差异及其机制有助于设计更好的实验动物模型，增进我们对与 AhR 相关的环境毒物的理解，并有助于筛选和开发新药。本综述系统地讨论了 AhR 激活效应及其作用机制的种间差异。我们重点关注 AhR 激活后从两个方面的种间差异：(1) AhR 的分子结构和激活，(2) 对应 AhR 的顺式作用元件的对比。人类和其他物种在 AhR 信号通路激活后的反应差异可以归因于这两个因素。
