Hahn M E
Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA 02543-1049, USA.
Comp Biochem Physiol C Pharmacol Toxicol Endocrinol. 1998 Nov;121(1-3):23-53. doi: 10.1016/s0742-8413(98)10028-2.
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ah receptor or AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in the regulation of several genes, including those for xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes such as cytochrome P450 1A and 1B forms. Ligands for the AHR include a variety of aromatic hydrocarbons, including the chlorinated dioxins and related halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons whose toxicity occurs through activation of the AHR. The AHR and its dimerization partner ARNT are members of the emerging bHLH-PAS family of transcriptional regulatory proteins. In this review, our current understanding of the AHR signal transduction pathway in non-mammalian and other non-traditional species is summarized, with an emphasis on similarities and differences in comparison to the AHR pathway in rodents and humans. Evidence and prospects for the presence of a functional AHR in early vertebrates and invertebrates are also examined. An overview of the bHLH-PAS family is presented in relation to the diversity of bHLH-PAS proteins and the functional and evolutionary relationships of the AHR and ARNT to the other members of this family. Finally, some of the most promising directions for future research on the comparative biochemistry and molecular biology of the AHR and ARNT are discussed.
芳基烃受体（Ah受体或AHR）是一种配体激活的转录因子，参与多种基因的调控，包括那些编码异生物质代谢酶的基因，如细胞色素P450 1A和1B亚型。AHR的配体包括多种芳香烃，其中包括氯化二恶英及相关卤代芳香烃，它们的毒性是通过激活AHR产生的。AHR及其二聚化伴侣ARNT是新兴的转录调节蛋白bHLH-PAS家族的成员。在这篇综述中，我们总结了目前对非哺乳动物和其他非传统物种中AHR信号转导途径的理解，重点比较了与啮齿动物和人类AHR途径的异同。还研究了早期脊椎动物和无脊椎动物中功能性AHR存在的证据和前景。结合bHLH-PAS蛋白的多样性以及AHR和ARNT与该家族其他成员的功能和进化关系，对bHLH-PAS家族进行了概述。最后，讨论了AHR和ARNT比较生物化学和分子生物学未来研究中一些最有前景的方向。
