The desert woodrat (Neotoma lepida) induces a diversity of biotransformation genes in response to creosote bush resin.

ABSTRACT: Liver biotransformation enzymes have long been thought to enable animals to feed on diets rich in xenobiotic compounds. However, despite decades of pharmacological research in humans and rodents, little is known about hepatic gene expression in specialized mammalian herbivores feeding on toxic diets. Leveraging a recently identified population of the desert woodrat (Neotoma lepida) found to be highly tolerant to toxic creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), we explored the expression changes of suites of biotransformation genes in response to diets enriched with varying amounts of creosote resin. Analysis of hepatic RNA-seq data indicated a dose-dependent response to these compounds, including the upregulation of several genes encoding transcription factors and numerous phase I, II, and III bio

SUBMITTER: Greenhalgh R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11006593 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature