Identification of dioxin-responsive elements (DREs) in the 5' regions of putative dioxin-inducible genes.

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is an exogenous ligand for the cytosolic aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-inducible transcription factor whose exact physiological role remains elusive. TCDD has been shown to modulate the expression of a large array of genes, albeit often indirectly, by demonstration of protein or mRNA upregulation. Here, by computer analysis of available promoter sequences, we identify dioxin-responsive elements in the promoter regions of many putative AhR regulated and therefore dioxin-inducible genes.