Estrogen receptor genes in gastropods: phylogenetic divergence and gene expression responses to a synthetic estrogen

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have the potential to affect development and reproduction in gastropods. However, one is today lacking basic understanding of the Molluscan endocrine system and one can therefore not fully explain these EDC-induced affects. Furthermore, only a few genes that potentially may be connected to the endocrine system have been sequenced in gastropods. An example is the estrogen receptor gene (er) that have been identified in a restricted number of freshwater and marine gastropods. Here, we have identified a new partial coding sequence of an estrogen receptor gene (er) in the European common heterobranch Radix balthica. The following phylogenetic analysis divided the ers of heterobranchs and ceanogastropods in two branches. Furthermore, exposure to the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) showed that exposure could significantly affect er expression level in the heterobranch R. balthica. This paper is the first that phylogenetically compares gastropods' er, basal er expression profiles, and transcriptional estrogenic responses in gastropods from two different evolutionary groups.