title: Chronic PFOS exposure alters the expression of neuronal development-related human homologues in Eisenia fetida.
abstract: PFOS is a toxic, persistent environmental pollutant which is widespread worldwide. PFOS contamination has entered the food chain and is interfering with normal development in man and is neurotoxic, hepatotoxic and tumorigenic. The earthworm, Eisenia fetida is one of the organisms which can help to diagnose soil health and contamination at lower levels in the food chain. Studying the chronic effects of sub-lethal PFOS exposure in such an organism is therefore appropriate. As PFOS bioaccumulates and is not easily biodegraded, it is biomagnified up the food chain. Gene expression studies will give us information to develop biomarkers for early diagnosis of soil contamination, well before this contaminant passes up the food chain. We have carried out mRNA sequencing of control and chronically PFOS exposed E. fetida and reconstructed the transcripts in silico and identified the differentially expressed genes. Our findings suggest that PFOS up/down regulates neurodegenerative-related human homologues and can cause neuronal damage in E. fetida. This information will help to understand the links between neurodegenerative disorders and environmental pollutants such as PFOS. Furthermore, these up/down regulated genes can be used as biomarkers to detect a sub-lethal presence of PFOS in soil. Neuronal calcium sensor-2, nucleoside diphosphate kinase, polyadenylate-binding protein-1 and mitochondrial Pyruvate dehydrogenase protein-X component, could be potential biomarkers for sub lethal concentrations of PFOS.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia & CRC CARE, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide 5095, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Srinithi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mayilswami
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia & CRC CARE, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide 5095, SA, Australia. Electronic address: Kannan.krishnan@unisa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Kannan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia & CRC CARE, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide 5095, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Mallavarapu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Megharaj
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia & CRC CARE, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide 5095, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naidu
mesh_terms: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000633:toxicity*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D050437:Genes, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017385:Sequence Homology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012989:Soil Pollutants; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid
keywords: Differential gene expression; Earthworm; Eisenia fetida; PFOS; Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid; Transcriptome assembly