II: Effects of a dopamine receptor antagonist on fathead minnow dominance behavior and ovarian gene expression in the fathead minnow and zebrafish

Neurotransmitters such as dopamine play an important role in reproductive behaviors and signaling. Neuroendocrine-active chemicals in the environment have potential to interfere with and/or alter these processes. A companion study with the dopamine 2 receptor antagonist, haloperidol, found no evidence of a direct effect of the chemical on fish reproduction. This study considered haloperidol’s potential effects on behavior and ovarian gene expression. Male fathead minnows exposed to 50 μg haloperidol/L for 96 h were found to be significantly more dominant than control males. In terms of molecular signaling, investigated using oligonucleotide microarrays, there was little similarity in the identity and functions of genes differentially expressed in the ovaries of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) versus zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed under the same conditions. Results suggest that non-lethal concentrations of haloperidol do not induce ovarian molecular responses that could serve as biomarkers of exposure to D2R antagonists, but may impact behavior.