Environmental & Molecular Toxicology

Robert Tanguay

Associate Professor, Director of the NIEHS Toxicology Training Grant
Dept: EMT (423 Weniger Hall)
Ph.D., 1995, University of California - Riverside
Phone: 541-737-6514
Fax: 541-737-7966
robert.tanguay@oregonstate.edu

Sinnhuber Aquatic Research Laboratory

Our laboratory has diverse research interests. For most of our studies we exploit the advantages of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model to improve human health. We evaluate environmental biological interactions using a broad definition of the term “environment.” The human environment is the air we breath, the water we drink, the food we eat, the pharmaceuticals we take, the chemicals we are exposed to, etc. We then consider that there are underlying individual susceptibilities to these environmental insults, so if we can understand the mechanisms by which environmental exposures produce biological responses, we will be in a much strong position to develop strategies to protect both humans and the environment. We have a long interest in better understanding the mechanism(s) underlying developmental toxicity in response to chemicals such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), ethanol, nicotine, and pesticides. We also have a regenerative medicine group that is developing new methods and approaches to discover the molecular pathways that prevent or promote vertebrate tissue regeneration. Finally, the nanotechnology division of our group is focused on defining the nonmaterial characteristics that dictate biological responses; with the goal to safely advance the field of nanotechnology. Trainees in my laboratory utilize several molecular, genetic and transgenic approaches to test their specific hypotheses.

Recent Publications

• Evans, B.R., Karchner, S.I., Allan, L.L., Pollenz, R.S., Tanguay, R.L., Jenny, M.J., Sherr, D.H., and Hahn, M.E. Repression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling by AHR repressor (AHRR): Role of DNA binding and competition for ARNT. Mol Pharmacol (In press)

• Usenko, C.Y., Harper, S.L., and Tanguay, R.L. Exposure to fullerene C60 elicits an oxidative stress response in embryonic zebrafish. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol (In press)

• Harper, S.L., J.A. Dahl, B.L.S. Maddux, R.L. Tanguay and J.E. Hutchison. Proactively designing nanomaterials to enhance performance and minimize hazard. International Journal of Nanotechnology. (In press)

• Isaacson, C.W., Usenko, C.Y., Tanguay, R. L., and Field, J.A. Quantification of Fullerenes by LC/ESI-MS and Its Application to in Vivo Toxicity Assays. Anal Chem 2007 79(23), 9091-9097).

• Mathew, L.K., Sengupta, S., Kawakami, A., Andreasen, E.A., Lohr, C.V., Loynes, C.A., Renshaw, S.A., Peterson, R.T., and Tanguay, R.L. Unraveling tissue regeneration pathways using chemical genetics. J Biol Chem 2007, 282(48), 35202-35210

• Usenko, C.Y., Harper, S.L., and Tanguay, R.L. In vivo evaluation of carbon fullerene toxicity using embryonic zebrafish. Carbon 2007 45: 1891–1898

• Sorensen, J.S., Forbey K.C., Tanguay, R.L., and McLeod, B. Tissue distribution of cytochrome p450 cyp3a enzymes in brushtail possums (trichosurus vulpecula) exposed to eucalyptus terpenes. Comp Biochem and Physiol (In Press).

• Andreasen, E.A., Mathew, L., And Tanguay, R.L. Regenerative growth is impacted by TCDD: Gene expression analysis reveals extracellular matrix modulation. Toxicol Sci. 2006. 92(1): p. 254-269.

• Andreasen, E.A., Mathew, L., And Tanguay, R.L. (2006) Regenerative growth is impacted by TCDD: Gene expression analysis reveals extracellular matrix modulation. Toxicol Sci. 2006 Jan 27; [Epub ahead of print].
• Mathew, L., Andreasen, E.A., and Tanguay, R.L. (2006) AHR activation inhibits zebrafish regenerative growth AHR activation inhibits zebrafish regenerative growth. Mol Pharmacol. 69(1): p. 257-265. PMID: 16214955
• Prasch AL, Tanguay RL, Mehta V, Heideman W, Peterson RE. (2006) Identification of zebrafish ARNT1 homologs: 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxicity in the developing zebrafish requires ARNT1. Mol Pharmacol. 69(3):776-87. Epub 2005 Nov 23. PMID: 16306231
• Teraoka, H., Urakawa, S., Nanba, S, Nagai,Y. Dong, W., Imagawa, T., Tanguay, R.L. Svoboda, K.S., Handley-Goldstone H.M., Stegeman, J.J. and Hiraga, T. (2006) Muscular contractions in the zebrafish embryo are necessary to reveal thiuram-induced notochord distortions. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 212(1):24-34. [Epub 2005 Jul 26]. PMID: 16051294
• Tilton, F., Ladu, J. K., Vue, M., and Tanguay, R.L. Dithiocarbamates have a common toxic effect on zebrafish body axis formation. (In Press, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology)
  
• Krueger SK, Siddens LK, Henderson MC, Andreasen EA, Tanguay RL, Pereira CB, Cabacungan ET, Hines RN, Ardlie KG, Williams DE. Haplotype and functional analysis of four flavin-containing monooxygenase isoform 2 (FMO2) polymorphisms in Hispanics. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 2005 Apr;15(4):245-56. PMID: 15864117
  
• Lassen N, Estey T, Tanguay RL, Pappa A, Reimers MJ, Vasiliou V. Molecular cloning, baculovirus expression, and tissue distribution of the zebrafish aldehyde dehydrogenase 2. Drug Metab Dispos. 2005 May;33(5):649-56. Epub 2005 Feb 9. PMID: 15703303
  
• Reimers MJ, Flockton AR, Tanguay RL. Ethanol- and acetaldehyde-mediated developmental toxicity in zebrafish. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2004 Nov-Dec;26(6):769-81. PMID: 15451041
• Haendel MA, Tilton F, Bailey GS, Tanguay RL. Developmental toxicity of the dithiocarbamate pesticide sodium metam in zebrafish. Toxicol Sci. 2004 Oct;81(2):390-400. Epub 2004 Jun 16. PMID: 15201444
• Reimers MJ, Hahn ME, Tanguay RL. Two zebrafish alcohol dehydrogenases share common ancestry with mammalian class I, II, IV, and V alcohol dehydrogenase genes but have distinct functional characteristics. J Biol Chem. 2004 Sep 10;279(37):38303-12. Epub 2004 Jul 01. PMID: 15231826
• Ng KY, Cho CW, Henthorn TK, Tanguay RL. Effect of heat preconditioning on the uptake and permeability of R123 in brain microvessel endothelial cells during mild heat treatment. J Pharm Sci. 2004 Apr;93(4):896-907. PMID: 14999727
• Zodrow JM, Stegeman JJ, Tanguay RL. Histological analysis of acute toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in zebrafish. Aquat Toxicol. 2004 Jan 7;66(1):25-38. PMID: 14687977
• Zodrow JM, Tanguay RL. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin inhibits zebrafish caudal fin regeneration. Toxicol Sci. 2003 Nov;76(1):151-61. Epub 2003 Aug 12. PMID: 12915709
• Cao Z, Tanguay RL, McKenzie D, Peterson RE, Aiken JM. Identification of a putative calcium-binding protein as a dioxin-responsive gene in zebrafish and rainbow trout. Aquat Toxicol. 2003 May 8;63(3):271-82. PMID: 12711416
• Svoboda KR, Vijayaraghavan S, Tanguay RL. Nicotinic receptors mediate changes in spinal motoneuron development and axonal pathfinding in embryonic zebrafish exposed to nicotine. J Neurosci. 2002 Dec 15;22(24):10731-41. PMID: 12486166
• Andreasen EA, Hahn ME, Heideman W, Peterson RE, Tanguay RL. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) aryl hydrocarbon receptor type 1 is a novel vertebrate receptor. Mol Pharmacol. 2002 Aug;62(2):234-49. PMID: 12130674
• Andreasen EA, Spitsbergen JM, Tanguay RL, Stegeman JJ, Heideman W, Peterson RE. Tissue-specific expression of AHR2, ARNT2, and CYP1A in zebrafish embryos and larvae: effects of developmental stage and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin exposure. Toxicol Sci. 2002 Aug;68(2):403-19. PMID: 12151636
• Andreasen EA, Tanguay RL, Peterson RE, Heideman W. Identification of a critical amino acid in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. J Biol Chem. 2002 Apr 12;277(15):13210-8. Epub 2002 Jan 31. PMID: 11823471
• Young TE, Ling J, Geisler-Lee CJ, Tanguay RL, Caldwell C, Gallie DR. Developmental and thermal regulation of the maize heat shock protein, HSP101. Plant Physiol. 2001 Nov;127(3):777-91. PMID: 11706162
• Tanguay RL, Andreasen E, Heideman W, Peterson RE. Identification and expression of alternatively spliced aryl hydrocarbon nuclear translocator 2 (ARNT2) cDNAs from zebrafish with distinct functions. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2000 Nov 15;1494(1-2):117-28. PMID: 11072074
• Ling J, Wells DR, Tanguay RL, Dickey LF, Thompson WF, Gallie DR. Heat shock protein HSP101 binds to the Fed-1 internal light regulatory element and mediates its high translational activity. Plant Cell. 2000 Jul;12(7):1213-27. PMID: 10899985
• Abnet CC, Tanguay RL, Heideman W, Peterson RE. Transactivation activity of human, zebrafish, and rainbow trout aryl hydrocarbon receptors expressed in COS-7 cells: greater insight into species differences in toxic potency of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin, dibenzofuran, and biphenyl congeners. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1999 Aug 15;159(1):41-51. PMID: 10448124
• Abnet CC, Tanguay RL, Hahn ME, Heideman W, Peterson RE. Two forms of aryl hydrocarbon receptor type 2 in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Evidence for differential expression and enhancer specificity. J Biol Chem. 1999 May 21;274(21):15159-66. PMID: 10329723
• Tanguay RL, Abnet CC, Heideman W, Peterson RE. Cloning and characterization of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1999 Jan 18;1444(1):35-48. PMID: 9931422
• Wells DR, Tanguay RL, Le H, Gallie DR. HSP101 functions as a specific translational regulatory protein whose activity is regulated by nutrient status. Genes Dev. 1998 Oct 15;12(20):3236-51. PMID: 9784498
• Le H, Tanguay RL, Balasta ML, Wei CC, Browning KS, Metz AM, Goss DJ, Gallie DR. Translation initiation factors eIF-iso4G and eIF-4B interact with the poly(A)-binding protein and increase its RNA binding activity. J Biol Chem. 1997 Jun 27;272(26):16247-55. PMID: 9195926
• Le H, Chang SC, Tanguay RL, Gallie DR. The wheat poly(A)-binding protein functionally complements pab1 in yeast. Eur J Biochem. 1997 Jan 15;243(1-2):350-7. PMID: 9030759
• Gallie DR, Le H, Caldwell C, Tanguay RL, Hoang NX, Browning KS. The phosphorylation state of translation initiation factors is regulated developmentally and following heat shock in wheat. J Biol Chem. 1997 Jan 10;272(2):1046-53. PMID: 8995401
• Tanguay RL, Gallie DR. The effect of the length of the 3'-untranslated region on expression in plants. FEBS Lett. 1996 Oct 7;394(3):285-8. PMID: 8830659
• Tanguay RL, Gallie DR. Isolation and characterization of the 102-kilodalton RNA-binding protein that binds to the 5' and 3' translational enhancers of tobacco mosaic virus RNA. J Biol Chem. 1996 Jun 14;271(24):14316-22. PMID: 8663059
• Tanguay RL, Gallie DR. Translational efficiency is regulated by the length of the 3' untranslated region. Mol Cell Biol. 1996 Jan;16(1):146-56. PMID: 8524291
• Gallie DR, Tanguay RL, Leathers V. The tobacco etch viral 5' leader and poly(A) tail are functionally synergistic regulators of translation. Gene. 1995 Nov 20;165(2):233-8. PMID: 8522182
• Gallie DR, Tanguay R. Poly(A) binds to initiation factors and increases cap-dependent translation in vitro. J Biol Chem. 1994 Jun 24;269(25):17166-73.
• Leathers V, Tanguay R, Kobayashi M, Gallie DR. A phylogenetically conserved sequence within viral 3' untranslated RNA pseudoknots regulates translation. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Sep;13(9):5331-47.
  
• Tanguay RL, Pfeifer GP, Riggs AD. PCR-aided DNaseI footprinting of single copy gene sequences in permeabilized cells. Nucleic Acids Res. 1990 Oct 11;18(19):5902. PMID: 2216795
• Pfeifer GP, Tanguay RL, Steigerwald SD, Riggs AD. In vivo footprint and methylation analysis by PCR-aided genomic sequencing: comparison of active and inactive X chromosomal DNA at the CpG island and promoter of human PGK-1. Genes Dev. 1990 Aug;4(8):1277-87. PMID: 2227409
• Singer-Sam J, LeBon JM, Tanguay RL, Riggs AD. A quantitative HpaII-PCR assay to measure methylation of DNA from a small number of cells. Nucleic Acids Res. 1990 Feb 11;18(3):687. PMID: 1689825
  

Book Chapters:

• Tanguay, R.L., Andreasen, E.A., Walker, M.E. and Peterson, R.E. (2003): Dioxin Toxicity and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling in Fish" in Dioxins and Health. Editor Schecter, A. New York: Plenum Press pp. 603-628.