title: Ecotoxicological diagnosis of striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Mediterranean basin by skin biopsy and gene expression approach.
abstract: Mediterranean cetacean odontocetes are exposed to environmental stress, in particular to persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace elements. In the present study, the response of "gene-expression biomarkers" was evaluated in Mediterranean striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) skin biopsies collected in three sampling areas: Pelagos sanctuary (Ligurian sea), Ionian sea, and Strait of Gibraltar. The mRNA levels of five putative biomarker genes (aryl hydrocarbon receptor, E2F-1 transcription factor, cytochrome P450 1A, estrogen receptor 1, and heat shock protein 70) were measured for the first time by quantitative real-time PCR in cetacean skin biopsies. The different responses of most of the genes reflected contamination levels in the three sampling areas. Pelagos sanctuary dolphins appeared to be the most exposed to toxicological stress, having the highest up-regulation of CYP1A and AHR. Moreover, a cluster analysis distinguished the populations on the basis of the gene expression biomarker used in our study, showing different pattern between Mediterranean sea and Strait of Gibraltar. Our results suggest that this molecular approach applied to non-destructive biopsy material is a powerful diagnostic tool for evaluating ecotoxicological impact on cetacean populations.
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Siena, Via A. Moro 2, Siena, 53100, Italy. panti4@unisi.it
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Panti
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spinsanti
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marsili
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casini
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Frati
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fossi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000235:genetics; D050687:E2F1 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics; D054750:Ecotoxicology / Q000379:methods*; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000187:drug effects; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000235:genetics; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry*; D050706:Stenella / Q000235:genetics*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D050687:E2F1 Transcription Factor; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D005819:Genetic Markers; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System