title: Abnormal ovarian DNA methylation programming during gonad maturation in wild contaminated fish.
abstract: There is increasing evidence that pollutants may cause diseases via epigenetic modifications. Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation participate in the regulation of gene transcription. Surprisingly, epigenetics research is still limited in ecotoxicology. In this study, we investigated whether chronic exposure to contaminants experienced by wild female fish (Anguilla anguilla) throughout their juvenile phase can affect the DNA methylation status of their oocytes during gonad maturation. Thus, fish were sampled in two locations presenting a low or a high contamination level. Then, fish were transferred to the laboratory and artificially matured. Before hormonal treatment, the DNA methylation levels of the genes encoding for the aromatase and the receptor of the follicle stimulating hormone were higher in contaminated fish than in fish from the clean site. For the hormone receptor, this hypermethylation was positively correlated with the contamination level of fish and was associated with a decrease in its transcription level. In addition, whereas gonad growth was associated with an increase in DNA methylation in fish from the clean site, no changes were observed in contaminated fish in response to hormonal treatment. Finally, a higher gonad growth was observed in fish from the reference site in comparison to contaminated fish.
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, EPOC, UMR 5805 , F-33400 Talence, France.
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pierron
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bureau du Colombier
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moffett
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caron
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peluhet
authors.forename: Guillemine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Daffe
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Elie
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Labadie
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Budzinski
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dufour
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Couture
authors.forename: Magalie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baudrimont
mesh_terms: D000811:Anguilla / Q000254:growth & development*; D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects*; D011962:Receptors, FSH / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011962:Receptors, FSH; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001141:Aromatase