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Identifying key events from Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances exposure that influence larval zebrafish in light:dark assay using RNA-sequencing analysis of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)

ABSTRACT: Gene expression data from short-term in vivo studies shows efficacy in quantifying concentration-dependent effects that inform toxicity outcomes, particularly for chemicals with limited toxicity data such as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Automated behavioral assessments, at non-teratogenic concentrations reveal perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) exposure causes hyperactivity in larval zebrafish (6 days post fertilization (dpf)) during the light phase of the light:dark assay compared to 0.4% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) vehicle control. To identify key events that drive this abnormal behavior, zebrafish embryos were exposed to 0.88-2.8 μM PFOS or 0.4% DMSO, and RNA was isolated from pooled head tissue collected at 4 and 5 dpf, before the onset of hyperactivity, for RNA-sequencing (NextSeq 500). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using Gene Specific Analysis (Partek Flow, St. Louis, MO) and mapped to human orthologs for pathway analyses to inform mode of action.

ORGANISM(S): Danio rerio

PROVIDER: GSE190490 | GEO | 2023/05/08

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are some of the most prominent organic contaminants in human blood that have the potential to disrupt biological processes and pathways in the liver. Although the toxicological implications from human exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) are well established, data on other, lesser-understood PFAS are limited. A challenge for regulatory authorities is to determine acceptable levels of human exposure to large, diverse classes of environmental contaminants. New approach methodologies (NAMs) that apply bioinformatics tools to interpret biological data are being increasingly considered to inform risk assessment when traditional toxicology methodologies are not amenable. The aim of the current investigation was to identify the biological responses relevant to PFAS mode of action as the concentration (benchmark dose) that these effects take place in order to utililze this information to inform/facilitate read-across for risk assessment of data-poor PFAS. A TempO-Seq platform (BioSpyder) measured gene expression changes in human liver microtissues (i.e., spheroids) after 1-day and 10-day exposures to increasing concentrations of PFAS. A bioinformatics framework was applied to 23 PFAS sub-classed into carboxylates (PFCAs), sulfonates (PFSAs), or PFAS precursors that were analyzed for the total altered transcripts, the concentration where effects take place, and identifying target genes of interest. Both PFCAs and PFSAs exhibited a trend toward increased transcriptional changes with carbon chain-length. Specifically, longer-chain compounds (7 to 10 carbons) were more likely to surpass liver-toxic transcriptomic thresholds established from previous studies than shorter chain PFAS. Longer-chain PFAS were also more potent, inducing transcriptional effects at lower concentrations. However, PFOS was the most potent PFAS and of all precursors, only PFOSA (a PFOS precursor) induced a response. The combined high-throughput transcriptomic and bioinformatics analyses revealed the capability of NAMs to assess the effects of PFAS in liver microtissues; such data improves our understanding of PFAS-related effects in humans and facilitates the use of read-across in human health risk assessment for other data-poor chemicals.

Dataset Information

Identifying key events from Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances exposure that influence larval zebrafish in light:dark assay using RNA-sequencing analysis of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)

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