title: The impact of methylmercury on 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-induced transcriptomic responses in dolphin skin cells.
abstract: The Atlantic bottlenose dolphin has been the focus of much attention owing to the considerable impact of environmental stress on its health and the associated implications for human health. Here, we used skin cells from the dolphin to investigate the protective role of the vitamin D pathway against environmental stressors. We previously reported that dolphin skin cells respond to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3), the bioactive metabolite of vitamin D3, by upregulation of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and expression of several genes. Methylmercury is a highly bioaccumulative environmental stressor of relevance to the dolphin. We currently report that in dolphin cells sublethal concentrations of methylmercury compromise the ability of 1,25D3 to upregulate VDR, to transactivate a vitamin D-sensitive promoter, and to express specific target genes. These results help elucidate the effects of vitamin D and methylmercury on innate immunity in dolphin skin and potentially in human skin as well, considering similarities in the vitamin D pathway between the two species.
authors.affiliation: Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Sciences Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
authors.forename: Blake C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.affiliation: Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Sciences Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gattoni-Celli
authors.affiliation: Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Sciences Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kindy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D053148:Caspase 3; D002117:Calcitriol; C004925:methylmercuric chloride