title: Cloning of multiple ERα mRNA variants in killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus), and differential expression by tissue type, stage of reproduction, and estrogen exposure in fish from polluted and unpolluted environments.
abstract: To test the hypothesis that alternative splicing could be an adaptive mechanism for populations subject to multi-generational estrogenic exposures, we compared estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) splicing variants in two populations of killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus): one resident in an estrogenic polluted environment (New Bedford Harbor, NBH, MA, USA) and one from a relatively uncontaminated reference site (Scorton Creek, SC, MA, USA). In total we identified 19 ERα variants, each with deletions of one or more coding exons. Four of the variants with potential functional relevance were analyzed by qPCR to test for population differences in expression by tissue type, site, sex, seasonal reproductive status and estrogen treatment. Significantly, a 5'-truncated short form variant (ERαS) was highly expressed in liver and ovary, and was associated with seasonal reproductive activity in SC but not NBH fish. Both ERαS and the full-length long variant (ERαL) were estrogen-inducible (ERαS>ERαL) but the induction response was lower in NBH than in SC fish. In contrast, NBH killifish were hyper-responsive to estrogen as measured by expression of two other estrogen responsive genes: vitellogenin (Vtg) and aromatase B (AroB). Most strikingly, two ERα deletion variants (Δ6 and Δ6-8), lacking ligand binding and activation function domains, were identified in a subset of NBH fish, where they were associated with reduced responsiveness to estrogen treatment. Together, these results support the hypothesis that alternative splicing of the esr1 gene of killifish could be an autoregulatory mechanism by which estrogen modulates the differential expression of ERα, and suggests a novel and adaptive mechanistic response to xenoestrogenic exposure.
authors.affiliation: Boston University Department of Biology, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Kellie A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Cotter
authors.affiliation: US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Atlantic Ecology Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nacci
authors.affiliation: US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Atlantic Ecology Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Champlin
authors.affiliation: Boston University Department of Biology, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chuprin
authors.affiliation: Boston University Department of Biology, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Electronic address: gvc@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Gloria V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Callard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004967:Estrogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D023781:Fundulidae / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D004967:Estrogens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014819:Vitellogenins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001141:Aromatase
keywords: Alternative splicing; Endocrine disruption; Estrogen receptor alpha; Killifish; mRNA variants