Project description:17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2), used for birth control in humans, is a potent estrogen that is found in wastewater at low concentrations (ng/L). EE2 has the ability to interfere with the endocrine system of fish, affecting reproduction which can result in population level effects. The objective of this study was to determine if dietary exposure to EE2 would alter gene expression patterns and key pathways in the liver and ovary and whether these could be associated with reproductive endpoints in female largemouth bass (LMB) during egg development. Female LMB received 70 ng EE2/g feed (feed administered at 1% of body weight) for 60 days. EE2 dietary exposure significantly reduced plasma vitellogenin concentrations by 70%. Hepatosomatic and gonadosomatic indices were also decreased with EE2 feeding by 38.5% and 40%, respectively. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that there were more changes in steady-state mRNA levels in the liver compared to the ovary. Genes associated with reproduction were differentially expressed such as vitellogenin in the liver and aromatase in the gonad. In addition, a set of genes related with oxidative stress (e.g., glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase) were identified as altered in the liver and genes associated with the immune system (e.g., complement component 1, and macrophage-inducible C-type lectin) were altered in the gonad. In a follow-up study with 0.2 ng EE2/g feed for 60 days, similar phenotypic and gene expression changes were observed that support these findings with the higher concentrations. This study provides new insights into how dietary exposure to EE2 interferes with endocrine signaling pathways in female LMB during a critical period of reproductive oogenesis.
Project description:The objective of this study was to investigate pathway signatures altered in the livers of female largemouth bass (LMB) and their potential links with biological responses by dietary exposure to 0.2 mg EE2/Kg (1% of their body weight) over two months using a transcriptomics approach. A high concentration of dietary 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) can activate key signaling pathways in response to oxidative damage may occur regardless of tumorigenesis and cancer. Female LMB received about 1.2g EE2/day/fish (from EE2-laced feed containing 0.2 mg EE2/Kg) for 60 days.
Project description:Gene expression profiling in the largemouth bass ovary following sub-chronic dietary exposures to the organochlorine pesticides p,p’ DDE and methoxychlor
Project description:Female largemouth bass were injected with 10mg/kg dieldrin and sacrificed after 7 days. Hypothalami were dissected and total RNA extracted for microarray analysis. Exposure to dieldrin induces neurotoxic effects in the vertebrate CNS and disrupts reproductive processes in teleost fish. Reproductive impairment observed in fish is likely the result of multiple mechanisms of action along the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. To better elucidate the mode of action of dieldrin in the hypothalamus, we measured neurotransmitter levels and examined the transcriptomic response of female largemouth bass (LMB) to an acute treatment of dieldrin. Female LMB were injected with either vehicle or 10 mg/kg dieldrin and sacrificed after seven days. The neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid was significantly elevated by approximately 25-30% in the hypothalamus and cerebellum but there was no change in dopamine levels in the hypothalamus, telencephalon, or cerebellum. We identified 270 transcripts (p<0.001) as being differentially regulated by dieldrin. Functional enrichment analysis identified transcription, DNA repair, ubiquitin pathway, cell communication, and phosphorylation as biological processes over-represented in the microarray analysis. Pathway analysis identified DNA damage, inflammation, regeneration, and Alzheimerâs disease as major cell processes and diseases affected by dieldrin. Using multiple bioinformatics approaches, this study demonstrates that the teleostean hypothalamus is a target for dieldrin-induced neurotoxicity and provides mechanistic evidence that dieldrin activates similar cell pathways and biological processes that are involved in the etiology of human neurological disorders. Key words: ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, mutagenicity, neurodegeneration, apoptosis, DNA damage Largemouth bass injected with single i.p. with 10 mg/kg diedrin; sacrificed 7 days later, hypothalamic tissue studied
Project description:The objective of this study was to investigate pathway signatures altered in the livers of female largemouth bass (LMB) and their potential links with biological responses by dietary exposure to 0.2 mg EE2/Kg (1% of their body weight) over two months using a transcriptomics approach.
Project description:Intensive aquaculture and environmental changes will inevitably lead to hypoxic stress for largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). To better understand the hypoxia responds mechanisms of largemouth bass, we compared the miRNA profile in liver under different environmental DO to determine which miRNAs are most affected during hypoxia. A total of 266 miRNAs were identified, and 84 miRNAs were differentially expressed compared with in control group. GO and KEGG analysis indicated that the miRNAs may play important roles in environment information processing. Specifically, we considered the VEGF signaling pathway, Phosphatidylinositol signaling system and MAPK signaling pathway, the results show that, the 13 miRNAs (miR-15b-5p, miR-30a-3p, miR-133a-3p, miR-19d-5p, miR-1288-3p, miR456, miR-96-5p, miR-23a-3p, miR-23b, miR-214, miR-24, miR-20a-3p and miR-2188-5p) involved in these three pathways are significantly down-regulated during hypoxia stress. And 12 target genes of these miRNAs were showed a higher degree of expression. We found the obvious negative correlation between miRNA and their target mRNAs, providing several miRNA-mRNA interaction networks in largemouth bass in response to hypoxia. Although relatively little information is currently available concerning the biological function of miRNAs identified to date, we strongly suggest that miRNAs play an important role in modulating gene expression involved in the physiological response to hypoxic stress in the fish liver.