Altered gene expression in the brain and liver of female fathead minnows Pimephales promelas Rafinesque exposed to fadrozole
- US EPA, Duluth, MN (United States)
- US EPA, Cincinnati, OH (United States)
- Sante Fe Community College, Gainesville, FL (United States); EcoArray, Alachua, FL (United States)
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- EcoArray, Alachua, FL (United States)
- Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)
The fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) is a small fish species widely used for ecotoxicology research and regulatory testing in North America. This study used a novel 2000 gene oligonucleotide microarray to evaluate the effects of the aromatase inhibitor, fadrozole, on gene expression in the liver and brain tissue of exposed females. Exposure to 60 μg 1-1 fadrozole/L for 7 d, resulted in the significant (p<0.05; high-moderate agreement among multiple probes spotted on the array) up-regulation of approximately 47 genes in brain and 188 in liver, and the significant down-regulation of 61 genes in brain and 162 in liver. In particular, fadrozole exposure elicited significant up-regulation of five genes in brain involved in the cholesterol synthesis pathway and altered the expression of over a dozen cytoskeleton-related genes. In the liver, there was notable down-regulation of genes coding for vitellogenin precursors, vigillin, and fibroin-like ovulatory proteins which were consistent with an expected reduction in plasma estradiol concentrations as a result of fadrozole exposure and an associated reduction in measured plasma vitellogenin concentrations. These changes coincided with a general down-regulation of genes coding for non-mitochondrial ribosomal proteins and proteins that play a role in translation. With the exception of the fibroin-like ovulatory proteins, real-time PCR results largely corroborated the microarray responses. Overall, results of this study demonstrate the utility of high density oligonucleotide microarrays for unsupervised, discovery-driven, ecotoxicogenomics research with the fathead minnow and helped inform the subsequent development of a 22,000 gene microarray for the species.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 937036
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-56159; JFIBA9; TRN: US200820%%398
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Fish Biology, Vol. 72, Issue 9; ISSN 0022-1112
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Development of quantitative real-time PCR assays for fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) gonadotropin ß subunit mRNAs to support endocrine disruptor research.
Expression of two vitellogenin genes (vg1 and vg3) in fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) liver in response to exposure to steroidal estrogens and androgens.