Project description:Congenital malformations are a prevalent cause of infant mortality in the United States and their induction has been linked to a variety of factors, including exposure to teratogens. However, the molecular mechanisms of teratogenicity are not fully understood. MicroRNAs are an important group of small, non-coding RNAs that regulate mRNA expression. MicroRNA roles in early embryonic development are well established, and their disruption during development can cause abnormalities. We hypothesized that developmental exposure to teratogens such as valproic acid alters microRNA expression profiles in developing embryos. Valproic acid is an anticonvulsant and mood-stabilizing drug used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder and migraines. To examine the effects of valproic acid on microRNA expression during development, we used zebrafish embryos as a model vertebrate developmental system. Zebrafish embryos were continuously exposed to valproic acid (1 mM) or vehicle control (ethanol) starting from 4 hours post-fertilization (hpf) and sampled at 48 and 96 hpf to determine the miRNA expression profiles prior to and after the onset of developmental defects. At 96 hpf, 95% of the larvae showed skeletal deformities, abnormal swimming behavior, and pericardial effusion. Microarray expression profiling was done using Agilent zebrafish miRNA microarrays. Microarray results revealed changes in miRNA expression at both the time points. Thirteen miRNAs were differentially expressed at 48 hpf and 22 miRNAs were altered at 96 hpf. Among them, six miRNAs (miR-16a, 18c, 122, 132, 457b, and 724) were common to both time points. Bioinformatic target prediction and examination of published literature revealed that these miRNAs target several genes involved in the normal functioning of the central nervous system. These results suggest that the teratogenic effects of valproic acid could involve altered miRNA expression. Small RNA profiles were deteremined in valproic acid exposed zebrafish embryos using Agilent miRNA microarrays

Project description:Methylmercury (MeHg) is a ubiquitous environmental toxicant that is often detected in the tissues of fish-eating species. It has been well established that prenatal exposure to MeHg can lead to widespread brain damage and impaired neurological development resulting in defects ranging from severe cerebral palsy and cognitive deficits to impaired motor and sensory function. A wide range of environmental toxicants have been shown to induce transgenerational inheritance of diseases via changes in DNA methylation—a well-known epigenetic modification. Our previous research has demonstrated that developmental MeHg exposure may yield transgenerational inheritance of neurological dysfunction in adult F3-lineage zebrafish via quantitative neurobehavioral assays that evaluated the visual startle response, retinal electrophysiology, and locomotor function. The objective of the current study was to examine the correlation between neurobehavioral phenotypes and the transcriptome activity in the brain and retina of F3 zebrafish by RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Transcriptomic analyses of F3 generation MeHg-treated zebrafish (compared to control) revealed significant gene dysregulation in both the brain and retina. There were 1648 and 138 differentially expressed genes in the retina and brain, respectively (FDR <0.05). Thirty-five genes were commonly dysregulated in both organs. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed significantly enriched pathways including: neurodevelopment, visual functions, phototransduction, and motor movement. Moreover, commonly dysregulated genes were associated with circadian rhythm and metabolic pathways, as well as arginine and proline metabolism. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of a transgenerational transcriptome induced by ancestral developmental exposure to MeHg in any species. If the transgenerational phenotypes, transcriptome, homologous biomarkers, or similar molecular pathways hold true for human populations, our findings have significant impact on global public health in terms of identifying the susceptible populations using biomarkers and preventing transgenerational inheritance of MeHg-induced neurobehavioral deficits.

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Danio rerio

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