Modulation of Gene Expression by Cancer Chemopreventive Dithiolethiones through the Keap1-Nrf2 Pathway

Enzyme inducers such as 3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione (D3T) enhance the detoxication of environmental carcinogens and protect against neoplasia. The putative molecular sensor for inducers is Keap1, a sulfhydryl-rich protein that sequesters the transcription factor Nrf2 in the cytoplasm. Expression of these detoxication enzymes is blunted in nrf2-deficient mice; moreover, these mice are more sensitive to carcinogenesis, and the protective actions of dithiolethiones are lost with nrf2 disruption. Hepatic gene expression profiles were examined by oligonucleotide microarray analysis in vehicle- or D3T-treated wild-type mice as well as in nrf2 single and keap1-nrf2 double knockout mice to identify those genes regulated…