Glutathione S-transferase copy number variation alters lung gene expression.

Publication Type	Academic Article
Authors	Butler M, Hackett N, Salit J, Strulovici-Barel Y, Omberg L, Mezey J, Crystal R
Journal	Eur Respir J
Volume	38
Issue	1
Pagination	15-28
Date Published	02/24/2011
ISSN	1399-3003
Keywords	Gene Dosage, Gene Expression Regulation, Glutathione Transferase, Lung
Abstract	The glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzymes catalyse the conjugation of xenobiotics to glutathione. Based on reports that inherited copy number variations (CNVs) modulate some GST gene expression levels, and that the small airway epithelium (SAE) and alveolar macrophages (AMs) are involved early in the pathogenesis of smoking-induced lung disease, we asked: do germline CNVs modulate GST expression levels in SAE and AMs? Microarrays were used to survey GST gene expression and determine CNVs genotypes in SAE and AMs obtained by bronchoscopy from current smokers and nonsmokers. 26% of subjects were null for both GSTM1 alleles, with reduced GSTM1 mRNA levels seen in both SAE and AMs. 30% of subjects had homozygous deletions of GSTT1, with reduced mRNA levels in both tissues. Interestingly, GSTT2B exhibited homozygous deletion in the blood of 27% of subjects and was not expressed in SAE in the remainder of subjects, but was expressed in AMs of heterozygotes and wild-type subjects, proportionate to genotype. These data show a germline CNV-mediated linear relationship of genotype with expression level, suggesting minimal compensation of gene expression levels in heterozygotes, consistent with GST polymorphisms playing a role in the risk of smoking-associated, xenobiotic-induced lung disease.
DOI	10.1183/09031936.00029210
PubMed ID	21349909
PubMed Central ID	PMC3399270