Identification of genes responsive to BPDE treatment in HeLa cells using cDNA expression assays

Genotoxic stresses induce cellular responses that can be observed at the level of gene expression. We have studied changes in gene expression following BPDE exposure in HeLa cells by using a cDNA expression array of 597 human genes. After a 53-hr exposure to 0.4 microM BPDE, nine genes were upregulated. The protein products of these genes are: fos-related antigen 2, apoptotic cysteine protease MCH4, DB1 (zinc finger protein 91), transcription factor ETR103, integrin alpha, interleukin-4, interleukin-6, 23-kDa highly basic protein, and ribosomal protein S9. We observed the downregulation of gene expression of three genes: heat-shock protein 27, DNA-binding protein TAX, and NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase B18 subunit. These results suggest unknown functions or regulatory circuits for several of the responsive genes and demonstrate the complexity of cellular responses to genotoxic insults.