title: If you could turn back time: understanding transgenerational latent effects of developmental exposure to contaminants.
abstract: Latent effects result from embryonic experiences but manifest in later stages of ontogeny. Our objective was to better understand how developmental exposure to contaminants influence life history traits and tolerance to novel stress in the freshwater gastropod, Physa pomilia. Ten egg masses were exposed to each of three initial treatments including control, 2.5 μg/L cadmium (Cd), and 10 μg/L Cd; there was no effect of this initial treatment on hatching success. At hatching, snails were transferred to cadmium-free water. Three weeks later, snails were divided among four secondary treatments including control, 50 μg/L Cd, 150 μg/L Cd, and 35 °C. Developmental Cd exposure plus secondary temperature stress caused the most adverse effects. Surprisingly, developmental Cd exposure alone was enough to cause significant decreases in reproductive success a generation later. That effects can manifest as transgenerational decrements in reproductive success suggests that latent effects are important and have longer lasting consequences than previously considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Toxicology, The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, 1207 Gilbert Drive, Lubbock, TX 79416, USA. Electronic address: david.kimberly@tiehh.ttu.edu.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kimberly
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Salice
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D048788:Growth and Development / Q000187:drug effects; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D012098:Reproduction; D012908:Snails / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium
keywords: Cadmium; Fitness effects; Multiple stressors; Physa pomilia; Temporal variation