Effect of DES-treated Ept congenic rat lines on gene expression in the anterior pituitary gland.

Anterior pituitary glands were isolated from 21 week old male rats treated for 12 weeks with the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES). Three biological replicates were prepared for each of 4 congenic lines: Ept1, Ept2, Ept6, and Ept9. Congenic rat lines were constructed by introgressing COP alleles onto an ACI background within a given Ept locus. Expression profiles were determined using Affymetrix Rat Genome 230 v. 2.0 arrays. Comparison of congenic rats with the ACI and COP parental strains (see series GSE4028) will allow identification of genes whose expression is influenced by an estrogen-induced pituitary tumor (Ept) QTL. Keywords: Estrogen Response 12 samples from anterior pituitary gland were analyzed. For each of 4 congenic rat lines (Ept1, Ept2, Ept6, Ept9) there were 3 biological replicates of DES-treated male animals. Congenic animals were constructed by introgressing COP alleles onto an ACI background. This was done within the linkage interval for a given Ept locus. These congenic samples can be compared to the ACI and COP parental strains (see GSE4028) to determine expression differences due to a particular chromosomal region, or QTL.