Differential gene expression in the airway epithelium of beta6 ko mice chronically challenged with OVA

Expression microarrays identified 119 genes that were significantly differentially expressed in the epithelium of WT and β6 KO mice after saline or chronic allergen challenge. PAM clustering revealed two interesting clusters (6 and 8) that we had not identified in previous comparisons by whole lung microarrays. Cluster 6 genes were low at baseline in both WT and β6 KO mice and were increased in WT but not in β6 KO mice after chronic allergen challenge such as Mcpt1. Cluster 8 genes were increased at baseline in β6 KO mice, and included 6 mast cell related genes (cma1, mcpt4, cpa3, mcpt6, tpsab1, il1rl1). The most informative differentially expressed genes identified in microarrays of the epithelial microenvironment were not epithelial genes, but mast cell genes. Control and beta6 ko mice (wt-S (4), wt-OVA (4), ko-S (4), ko-OVA (4)) were sensitized and challenged with OVA or saline, airway epithelium were brush-harvested.