title: Teratogen-induced distortions in the classical NF-kappaB activation pathway: correlation with the ability of embryos to survive teratogenic stress.
abstract: Studies with diverse teratogens implicated the transcription factor NF-kappaB in mechanisms determining teratological susceptibility of embryos. Here, a teratogen such as cyclophosphamide (CP) was used to test whether teratogenic insult alters the classical NF-kappaB activation pathway, and how these alterations correlate with the ability of mouse embryos to resist the teratogen-induced process of maldevelopment. We observed that embryos tested 24 h after the exposure of females to 40 mg/kg CP exhibited a dramatic decrease in the level of NF-kappaB (p65 subunit)-DNA binding, IkappaB kinase beta (IKKbeta) activity, expression of p65 and IKKbeta proteins, as well as NF-kappaB inhibitory proteins (IkappaBs) such as IkappaBalpha, IkappaBbeta, and IkappaBepsilon, and died within the next 24 h. Embryos of females exposed to 15 mg/kg CP exhibited only a decrease in NF-kappaB-DNA binding and IKKbeta activity at 24 h. However, at 48 h, a more prominent decrease in NF-kappaB activity was observed, accompanied by a decreased expression of p65 and IKKbeta proteins. These embryos died within the next 24 h. After treatment with 10 mg/kg CP, embryos survived until the end of the antenatal period of development, demonstrating a transient decrease in NF-kappaB-DNA binding activity and no alterations in NF-kappaB signaling. These results suggest that the classical NF-kappaB activation pathway may be among targets that teratogens engage to initiate abnormal development. Besides, the observation that embryos destined to be dead exhibited a dramatically decreased rate of cell proliferation suggests a pathway, whereby teratogen-induced alterations in NF-kappaB signaling may culminate in such a final effect as embryonic death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Natali
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Molotski
authors.forename: Shoshana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savion
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gerchikov
authors.forename: Amos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fein
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Toder
authors.forename: Arkady
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torchinsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D013723:Teratogens