Foxa2-dependent hepatic gene regulatory networks depend on physiological state

Physiol Genomics. 2009 Jul 9;38(2):186-95. doi: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.90376.2008. Epub 2009 May 5.

Abstract

Bile acids are powerful detergents produced by the liver to aid in the absorption of dietary lipids. We recently reported a novel role for Foxa2 in bile acid metabolism. The winged helix transcription factor Foxa2 is required to prevent intrahepatic cholestasis and liver injury in mice fed a cholic acid-enriched diet. Here, we use functional genomics to study how Foxa2 regulates its targets in a cholic acid-dependent manner. We found that multiple signaling pathways essential for the hepatic response to acute liver injury are impaired in livers of Foxa2-deficient mice, suggesting that the deletion of Foxa2 in the hepatocyte affects the liver on a large scale. We also discovered distinct feed-forward regulatory loops controlling Foxa2-dependent targets in a cholic acid-dependent or -independent manner. We show that Foxa2 interacts with different transcription factors to achieve gene expression responses appropriate for each physiologic state.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cholic Acid / metabolism*
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
  • Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology*
  • Gene Regulatory Networks / genetics
  • Gene Regulatory Networks / physiology*
  • Genomics / methods
  • Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta / genetics
  • Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta / metabolism*
  • Liver / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nuclear Receptor Coactivator 2 / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Foxa2 protein, mouse
  • Ncoa2 protein, mouse
  • Nuclear Receptor Coactivator 2
  • Transcription Factors
  • Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta
  • Cholic Acid