Wastewater treatment effluent alters nucleotide excision repair in zebrafish (Danio rerio).
Wastewater treatment effluent is a complex mixture of anthropogenic pollutants including estrogenic substances and chemicals, such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, that cause bulky DNA adducts. Significant research focuses on reproductive effects of aquatic estrogens from wastewater treatment plants. However, other studies suggest genotoxic and immunological effects occur at lower concentrations of wastewater treatment effluent than reproductive endpoints. Recently, effects of estrogen on DNA repair processes in zebrafish have been suggested as a possible mechanism by which estrogen can modulate incidence of DNA mutations. Because wastewater treatment facilities are a significant source of estrogenic compounds, we hypothesized that exposure to whole effluents would also affect DNA repair in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Exposure to effluent from multiple treatment facilities in northern Maine decreased repair of DNA adducts in zebrafish liver cells. Expression of two nucleotide excision repair genes, XPC and XPA, were quantified and showed varied response after exposure in adult male zebrafish. Evidence of estrogen and aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation after exposure varied between treatment plants and temporally within treatment plants when evaluated using a traditional biomarker, vitellogenin-1 (VTG) and, cytochrome p450 1A1 (CYP1A1) mRNA abundance. This research highlights the continuing importance of examining non-reproductive effects of wastewater treatment effluent.
Notch
Emily G
EG
Biochemistry, Microbiology & Molecular Biology Department, University of Maine, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
Mayer
Gregory D
GD
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000235:genetics; D018736:DNA Adducts / Q000378:metabolism; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000187:drug effects*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000009:adverse effects; D004967:Estrogens / Q000009:adverse effects; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008281:Maine; D008297:Male; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000009:adverse effects; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000819:agonists; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000819:agonists; D012621:Seasons; D012722:Sewage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014162:Transfection; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000235:genetics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018508:Water Purification; D051760:Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group A Protein / Q000235:genetics; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D015415:Biomarkers; D018736:DNA Adducts; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004967:Estrogens; D029941:Fish Proteins; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D012722:Sewage; D014819:Vitellogenins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D051760:Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group A Protein; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C486450:vtg1 protein, zebrafish; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1