Abstract: The present invention identifies nucleic acids that are differentially expressed in cells exposed to various toxicants, including a common group whose expression is modulated by toxicants that act by differing mechanisms. The nucleic acids so identified and their corresponding protein products have utility as markers for specific and general cytotoxic responses. Utilizing the identified nucleic acids, the invention further provides screening methods to identify and characterize toxicants, screens for identifying antidotes to particular toxiciants and diagnostic methods for detecting toxic responses. The identified nucleic acids and their corresponding gene products also serve as targets for various therapeutics designed to alleviate toxic responses.