Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6382648 | Aquatic Toxicology | 2014 | 11 Pages |
Abstract
This study describes the function of transcripts with altered abundance in the epibenthic amphipod, Melita plumulosa, following whole-sediment exposure to a series of common environmental contaminants. M. plumulosa were exposed for 48 h to sediments spiked and equilibrated with the following contaminants at concentrations predicted to cause sublethal effects to reproduction: porewater ammonia 30 mg Lâ1; bifenthrin at 100 μg kgâ1; fipronil at 50 μg kgâ1; 0.6% diesel; 0.3% crude oil; 250 mg Cu kgâ1; 400 mg Ni kgâ1; and 400 mg Zn kgâ1. RNA was extracted and hybridized against a custom Agilent microarray developed for this species. Although the microarray represented a partial transcriptome and not all features on the array could be annotated, unique transcriptomic profiles were generated for each of the contaminant exposures. Hierarchical clustering grouped the expression profiles together by contaminant class, with copper and zinc, the petroleum products and nickel, and the pesticides each forming a distinct cluster. Many of the transcriptional changes observed were consistent with patterns previously described in other crustaceans. The changes in the transcriptome demonstrated that contaminant exposure caused changes in digestive function, growth and moulting, and the cytoskeleton following metal exposure, whereas exposure to petroleum products caused changes in carbohydrate metabolism, xenobiotic metabolism and hormone cycling. Functional analysis of these gene expression profiles can provide a better understanding of modes of toxic action and permits the prediction of mixture effects within contaminated ecosystems.
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Aquatic Science
Authors
Sharon E. Hook, Hannah L. Osborn, David A. Spadaro, Stuart L. Simpson,