Table 2.
Early Nutrition Differentially Regulates Epithelial Gene Expression. Listed are the most highly up- and down-regulated genes in breastfed (BF) vs. formula-fed (FF) infants.
| Gene Symbol and Name | Function of Encoded Gene | Fold Change (BF/FF) |
|---|---|---|
| Up-regulated in BF Compared to FF | ||
| NR3C1; Glucocorticoid receptor | Transcription factor that binds to glucocorticoid response elements in the promoters of glucocorticoid responsive genes | 5.5 |
| BAD; BCL-2-associated agonist of apoptosis | Protein positively regulates cell apoptosis by forming heterodimers with BCL-xL and BCL-2, and reversing their death repressor activity | 4.0 |
| PCDH7; Protocadherin | Gene product is an integral membrane protein that is thought to function in cell-cell recognition and adhesion | 3.9 |
| EPAS1; Endothelial PAS domain protein 1 | Transcription factor involved in the induction of genes regulated by oxygen, which is induced as oxygen levels fall. | 3.3 |
| NR5A2; Nuclear receptor subfamily 5, group A, member 2 or liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) | LRH-1 is important for maintaining pluripotence of stem cells during embryonic development | 2.8 |
| MYB; v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog | Plays an important role in the control of proliferation and differentiation | 2.8 |
| Stx2; Syntaxin-2 | Gene product regulates epithelial-mesenchymal interactions and epithelial cell morphogenesis and activation | 2.5 |
| ITGB2; Integrin Beta-2 (CD18) | ICAM Receptor; gene product is known to participate in cell adhesion as well as cell-surface mediated signaling | 2.5 |
| TJP1; ZO-1 | The N-terminal may be involved in transducing a signal required for tight junction assembly, while the C-terminal may have specific properties of tight junctions | 2.2 |
| Down-regulated in BF Compared to FF | ||
| FOXE3 | Forkhead box protein E3; cell proliferation | 0.32 |
| EGFR | EGF Receptor; cell proliferation and migration | 0.33 |
| WNT7B | Wingless-type MMRV integration site family, 7B; cell fate and cell patterning | 0.58 |
| LYZL6 | Lysozyme-like 6; bacteriostatic factor | 0.70 |
| HIF3A | Hypoxia-inducible factor 3 alpha; negative regulator of hypoxia- inducible gene expression | 0.71 |
| DAPK1 | Death-associated protein kinase 1; induction of apoptosis | 0.73 |
| APC | Adenomatous polyposis coli; tumor suppressor | 0.77 |
| TDGF1 | Teratocarcinoma-derived growth factor 3; cell growth | 0.80 |
| SPARC | Secreted-protein, acidic, cysteine-rich (osteonectin); cell proliferation | 0.82 |
From: Chapkin et al. 2010 [40]