Project description:An embryonic atrazine exposure results in reproductive dysfunction in adult zebrafish and morphological alterations in their offspring
Project description:The study of epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation and the role of these mechanisms in developmental reprogramming of the genome and disease susceptibility has increased in recent years. Molecular epigenetic mechanisms regulating gene expression include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and small non-coding RNAs (e.g., microRNAs). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, single-stranded RNA that regulate post-transcriptional control of the translation of mRNA. The importance of these epigenetic regulators in controlling developmental processes is becoming clear. However, to date, few studies have investigated the role of miRNAs in toxicological responses limiting knowledge of these critical regulators in mechanisms of toxicity. Atrazine is a herbicide commonly used throughout the Midwestern United States and other areas of the globe for control of weeds in agricultural crops. In certain areas of the United States, atrazine frequently contaminates potable water supplies above the maximum contaminant level of 3 parts per billion (ppb; mg/L) as set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and is a suspected endocrine disrupting chemical. Studies have begun to investigate the genetic mechanisms of atrazine toxicity; however, studies investigating epigenetic mechanisms are limited. Here we report that expression of both zebrafish and human miRNAs are significantly altered in response to a developmental atrazine exposure of 0.3, 3, or 30 ppb from 1-72 hours post fertilization (hpf). Altered miRNAs are known to play a role in angiogenesis, cancer, or neuronal development, differentiation, and maturation. Targeted analysis of altered human miRNAs with genes previously identified to be altered by atrazine exposure revealed several targets linked to cell cycle and cell signaling. Further analysis of hsa-miRNA-126-3p which had altered expression in all three atrazine treatments at 72 hpf revealed alterations also occurred at 60 hpf in the 30 ppb treatment group. Results from this study indicate miRNA deregulation in zebrafish and human miRNAs following an embryonic atrazine exposure in zebrafish.