title: Dietary exposure of 17-alpha ethinylestradiol modulates physiological endpoints and gene signaling pathways in female largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides).
abstract: 17Alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2), used for birth control in humans, is a potent estrogen that is found in wastewater at low concentrations (ng/l). EE2 has the ability to interfere with the endocrine system of fish, affecting reproduction which can result in population level effects. The objective of this study was to determine if dietary exposure to EE2 would alter gene expression patterns and key pathways in the liver and ovary and whether these could be associated with reproductive endpoints in female largemouth bass during egg development. Female LMB received 70ng EE2/g feed (administered at 1% of body weight) for 60 days. EE2 dietary exposure significantly reduced plasma vitellogenin concentrations by 70%. Hepatosomatic and gonadosomatic indices were also decreased with EE2 feeding by 38.5% and 40%, respectively. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that there were more changes in steady state mRNA levels in the liver compared to the ovary. Genes associated with reproduction were differentially expressed, such as vitellogenin in the liver and aromatase in the gonad. In addition, a set of genes related with oxidative stress (e.g. glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase) were identified as altered in the liver and genes associated with the immune system (e.g. complement component 1, and macrophage-inducible C-type lectin) were altered in the gonad. In a follow-up study with 0.2ng EE2/g feed for 60 days, similar phenotypic and gene expression changes were observed that support these findings with the higher concentrations. This study provides new insights into how dietary exposure to EE2 interferes with endocrine signaling pathways in female LMB during a critical period of reproductive oogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
authors.forename: Reyna-Cristina
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Colli-Dula
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Martyniuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kroll
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
authors.forename: Melinda S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Prucha
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kozuch
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States. Electronic address: ndenslow@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Nancy D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Denslow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000235:genetics; D001492:Bass / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000187:drug effects; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014819:Vitellogenins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D001141:Aromatase
keywords: 17Alpha-ethinylestradiol; Largemouth bass; Transcriptomic approach