Hepatic gene expression profiling in zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to the fungicide chlorothalonil

Chlorothalonil (tetrachloroisophtalonitrile) is a fungicide that is widely used on agricultural crops around the world and as such, it is a ubiquitous aquatic contaminant. Despite high usage, the effects of this fungicide on non-target aquatic organisms have not been fully investigated. The aim of the present study was to (1) determine the effects of chlorothalonil toxicity on adult male zebrafish (Danio rerio) and (2) characterize the effects of chlorothalonil on gene expression patterns in the liver using two different concentrations of the fungicide, 0.007 mg/L (environmentally-relevant) and 0.035 mg/L (sublethal). These concentrations were selected from range-finding experiments that showed that zebrafish survival was significantly different from control animals at concentrations higher than 0.035 mg/L but not below. Male zebrafish in both treatments of chlorothalonil showed a decrease in liversomatic index. A commercial D. rerio microarray (4 × 44 K) was used to determine gene expression profiles in male zebrafish liver following a 96 h toxicological assay. Microarray analysis revealed that males exposed to both 0.007 mg/L or 0.035 mg/L of chlorothalonil showed increased transcriptional sub-networks related to cell division and DNA damage and decreased expression of gene networks associated with reproduction, immunity, and xenobiotic clearance. This study improves knowledge regarding whole animal exposures to chlorothalonil and identifies molecular signaling cascades that are sensitive to this fungicide in the fish liver.