Environmental Toxicants May Modulate Osteoblast Differentiation by a Mechanism Involving the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activation

The activation mechanism of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) by molecular chaperone HSP90

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily that associates with the molecular chaperone HSP90 in the cytoplasm. The activation mechanism of the AhR is not yet fully understood. It has been proposed that after binding of ligands such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), 3methylcholanthrene (3-MC), or β-naphthoflavone (β-NF), the AhR dissociates from H...

Suppression of adipocyte differentiation by Cordyceps militaris through activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor.

Mycelial extracts have a wide range of biological activities that modulate functions of mammalian cells. In this report, we sought to identify antiadipogenic mycelia with the use of 3T3-L1 cells and found that the extract of Cordyceps militaris exclusively suppressed differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into mature adipocytes without affecting cell viability. This inhibitory effect was dose ...

The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and Tumor Immunity

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is an important cytosolic, ligand-dependent transcription factor. Emerging evidence suggests the promoting role of the AhR in the initiation, promotion, progression, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells. Studies on various tumor types and tumor cell lines have shown high AhR expression, suggesting that AhR is activated constitutively in tumors and facilit...

Antioxidant Functions of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor belonging to the basic helix-loop-helix/PER-ARNT-SIM family. It is activated by a variety of ligands, such as environmental contaminants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or dioxins, but also by naturally occurring compounds and endogenous ligands. Binding of the ligand leads to dimerization of the AhR with aryl hydrocarbon recep...