title: Sex reversal assessments reveal different vulnerability to endocrine disruption between deeply diverged anuran lineages.
abstract: Multiple anthropogenic stressors cause worldwide amphibian declines. Among several poorly investigated causes is global pollution of aquatic ecosystems with endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). These substances interfere with the endocrine system and can affect the sexual development of vertebrates including amphibians. We test the susceptibility to an environmentally relevant contraceptive, the artificial estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), simultaneously in three deeply divergent systematic anuran families, a model-species, Xenopus laevis (Pipidae), and two non-models, Hyla arborea (Hylidae) and Bufo viridis (Bufonidae). Our new approach combines synchronized tadpole exposure to three EE2-concentrations (50, 500, 5,000 ng/L) in a flow-through-system and pioneers genetic and histological sexing of metamorphs in non-model anurans for EDC-studies. This novel methodology reveals striking quantitative differences in genetic-male-to-phenotypic-female sex reversal in non-model vs. model species. Our findings qualify molecular sexing in EDC-analyses as requirement to identify sex reversals and state-of-the-art approaches as mandatory to detect species-specific vulnerabilities to EDCs in amphibians.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301 &310, D-12587 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamschick
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Vertebrates, Wroclaw University, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rozenblut-Kościsty
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Vertebrates, Wroclaw University, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogielska
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Richard-Willstätter-Str. 11, D-12489 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.affiliation: Natural History Museum of Crete, University of Crete, Knossou Ave., 71409 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lymberakis
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301 &310, D-12587 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Frauke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301 &310, D-12587 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ilka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301 &310, D-12587 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kloas
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301 &310, D-12587 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stöck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D002025:Bufonidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006066:Gonads / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D019849:Sex Determination Processes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol