title: Effects of pesticide compounds (chlorothalonil and mancozeb) and benzo[a]pyrene mixture on aryl hydrocarbon receptor, p53 and ubiquitin gene expression levels in haemocytes of soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria).
abstract: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the pesticides/polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixture on aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), p53 and ubiquitin mRNA level in haemocytes of Mya arenaria exposed to a mixture of chlorothalonil, mancozeb and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) for 48 and 72 h. AhR, p53 and ubiquitin gene expression levels were quantified using quantitative Real-time PCR. For robust and accurate quantification of transcripts, suitable housekeeping genes were selected from four sets of ribosomal and elongation factors transcripts previously sequenced from Mya arenaria using geNorm open source software. Quantitative Real-time PCR data exhibited a significantly high expression of AhR after 72 h of exposure (P ≤ 0.05). p53 gene expression seems to be up-regulated by the mixture after 48 h, however not significantly; but the level of p53 mRNA is down-regulated by the xenobiotics between 48 and 72 h after exposure. This study postulates that AhR mRNA levels could be used as an indicator of the exposure of clams' haemocytes to a mixture of xenobiotics such as chlorothalonil, mancozeb and BaP. However, further studies have to be pursued in order to unravel the molecular mechanisms involved in the p53 signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology & Microbiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 4P3, Canada.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pariseau
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aboelkhair
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saint-Louis
authors.forename: Emilien
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.forename: T Jeffrey
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Réjean
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.forename: Franck C J
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Berthe
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene / Q000633:toxicity*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D016158:Genes, p53; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008344:Maneb / Q000633:toxicity; D049892:Mya / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000633:toxicity; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000235:genetics*; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000235:genetics*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity; D015262:Xenobiotics / Q000633:toxicity; D015038:Zineb / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009570:Nitriles; D010575:Pesticides; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; D025801:Ubiquitin; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D015262:Xenobiotics; D008344:Maneb; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene; C005806:tetrachloroisophthalonitrile; C013099:mancozeb; D015038:Zineb