title: Corresponding morphological and molecular indicators of crude oil toxicity to the developing hearts of mahi mahi.
abstract: Crude oils from distinct geological sources worldwide are toxic to developing fish hearts. When oil spills occur in fish spawning habitats, natural resource injury assessments often rely on conventional morphometric analyses of heart form and function. The extent to which visible indicators correspond to molecular markers for cardiovascular stress is unknown for pelagic predators from the Gulf of Mexico. Here we exposed mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) embryos to field-collected crude oil samples from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. We compared visible heart defects (edema, abnormal looping, reduced contractility) to changes in expression of cardiac-specific genes that are diagnostic of heart failure in humans or associated with loss-of-function zebrafish cardiac mutants. Mahi exposed to crude oil during embryogenesis displayed typical symptoms of cardiogenic syndrome as larvae. Contractility, looping, and circulatory defects were evident, but larval mahi did not exhibit downstream craniofacial and body axis abnormalities. A gradation of oil exposures yielded concentration-responsive changes in morphometric and molecular responses, with relative sensitivity being influenced by age. Our findings suggest that 1) morphometric analyses of cardiac function are more sensitive to proximal effects of crude oil-derived chemicals on the developing heart, and 2) molecular indicators reveal a longer-term adverse shift in cardiogenesis trajectory.
authors.affiliation: National Research Council Associate Program, under contract to Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA 98112 USA.
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Edmunds
authors.affiliation: Frank Orth and Associates, under contract to Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA 98112 USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Fisheries Science Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA 98112 USA.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Fisheries Science Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA 98112 USA.
authors.forename: Tiffany L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Linbo
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Fisheries Science Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA 98112 USA.
authors.forename: Barbara L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: French
authors.affiliation: Frank Orth and Associates, under contract to Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA 98112 USA.
authors.forename: Tanya L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science, University of Texas, Marine Science Institute, 750 Channel View Dr., Port Aransas, TX 78373 USA.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Esbaugh
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy., Miami, FL 33149 USA.
authors.forename: Edward M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Mager
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy., Miami, FL 33149 USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stieglitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy., Miami, FL 33149 USA.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoenig
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy., Miami, FL 33149 USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Benetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy., Miami, FL 33149 USA.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grosell
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Fisheries Science Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA 98112 USA.
authors.forename: Nathaniel L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Fisheries Science Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA 98112 USA.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Incardona
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D066126:Cardiotoxicity / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D010473:Perciformes / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D010578:Petroleum / Q000633:toxicity*; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010578:Petroleum