title: Developmental timing of perchlorate exposure alters threespine stickleback dermal bone.
abstract: Adequate levels of thyroid hormone are critical during development and metamorphosis, and for maintaining metabolic homeostasis. Perchlorate, a common contaminant of water sources, inhibits thyroid function in vertebrates. We utilized threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to determine if timing of perchlorate exposure during development impacts adult dermal skeletal phenotypes. Fish were exposed to water contaminated with perchlorate (30mg/L or 100mg/L) beginning at 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, 42, 154 or 305days post fertilization until sexual maturity at 1year of age. A reciprocal treatment moved stickleback from contaminated to clean water on the same schedule providing for different stages of initial exposure and different treatment durations. Perchlorate exposure caused concentration-dependent significant differences in growth for some bony traits. Continuous exposure initiated within the first 21days post fertilization had the greatest effects on skeletal traits. Exposure to perchlorate at this early stage can result in small traits or abnormal skeletal morphology of adult fish which could affect predator avoidance and survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508, USA; Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 902 N. Koyukuk Dr., P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA. Electronic address: bfurin@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Christoff G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Furin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508, USA. Electronic address: favonhippel@uaa.alaska.edu.
authors.forename: Frank A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: von Hippel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1254 University of Oregon 222 Huestis Hall, Eugene, OR 97403, USA. Electronic address: jpostle@uoneuro.uoregon.edu.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Postlethwait
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508, USA. Electronic address: clbuck@uaa.alaska.edu.
authors.forename: C Loren
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, 312 Pacific Hall, Eugene, OR 97403, USA. Electronic address: wcresko@uoregon.edu.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Cresko
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757750, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA. Electronic address: tmohara@alaska.edu.
authors.forename: Todd M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: O'Hara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010472:Perchlorates / Q000378:metabolism*; D023701:Smegmamorpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D010472:Perchlorates; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C494474:perchlorate
keywords: Endocrine disruption; Gasterosteus aculeatus; Hypothyroidism; Skeletal abnormality; Thyroid hormone