title: Multiple bio-analytical methods to reveal possible molecular mechanisms of developmental toxicity in zebrafish embryos/larvae exposed to tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate.
abstract: The flame retardant tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP) is a frequently detected contaminant in the environment, wildlife and human milk. The potentially toxic effects of TBEP and their underlying molecular mechanisms have not been elucidated. Here, zebrafish embryos were exposed to different concentrations of TBEP from 4 hours of post-fertilization (hpf) to 120 hpf, and effects on embryonic development and global protein expression patterns examined. Our results demonstrate that treatment with TBEP (0.8-100mg/L) causes a concentration- and time-dependent decrease in embryonic survival and the hatching percentage. The median lethal concentration was 10.7 mg/L at 120 hpf. Furthermore, exposure to 150 or 800 μg/L TBEP inhibited the degradation and utilization of vitellogenins and down-regulated the expression of proteins related to cation binding, and lipid transport, uptake and metabolism, accompanied by a decrease in heart rate and body length. Exposure to TBEP (150 or 800 μg/L) also decreased the expression of proteins involved in cell proliferation and DNA repair, and led to an increased number of apoptotic cells in the tail region. Collectively, our results suggest that exposure to TBEP causes toxicity in the developing zebrafish by inhibiting the degradation and utilization of nutrients from the mother and inducing apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse & School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Zhihua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Qiangwei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse & School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of the Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Hongshan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Bingsheng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Zhiyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse & School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse & School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse & School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Hongling
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse & School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse & School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore; College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. Electronic address: liuchunshengidid@126.com.
authors.forename: Chunsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse & School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China. Electronic address: yuhx@nju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hongxia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029941:Fish Proteins; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C013320:tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate
keywords: Developmental toxicity; Flame retardants; TBEP; Zebrafish; iTRAQ