Abstract
Changes in gene expression, coupled with biochemical, physiological, and behavioral alterations, play a critical role in adaptation to environmental stress. Our goal was to explore ways natural populations may have adapted to local, polluted environments. We took advantage of natural populations of Fundulus heteroclitus, one of the few studied fish species in North America that has established resistant populations in highly contaminated urban estuaries. We analyzed morphology, physiology, and gene expression of developing F. heteroclitus embryos during late organogenesis (stage 31); these embryos were from both resistant and sensitive populations and were raised in a common, unpolluted environment. While cardiac heart rates show significant differences between embryos of parents from clean and heavily contaminated Superfund sites, time-to-stage, embryo morphology, and gene expression profile analyses do not differ significantly between untreated embryos from resistant and sensitive populations. Further evaluation that includes tissue-specific approaches in gene expression analysis and larger sample sizes may be necessary to highlight important phenotypes associated with mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance among natural F. heteroclitus embryo populations. Alternatively, population differences may be masked by developmental canalization, and biologically important differences between sensitive and resistant embryos may only manifest with exposure (e.g., be dependent on gene by environment interactions).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 221-229 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Aquatic Toxicology |
| Volume | 98 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 1 2010 |
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Keywords
- Developmental stages
- Embryo gene expression
- Fundulus heteroclitus
- Microarrays
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aquatic Science
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Cite this
Embryonic gene expression among pollutant resistant and sensitive Fundulus heteroclitus populations. / Bozinovic, Goran; Oleksiak, Marjorie F.
In: Aquatic Toxicology, Vol. 98, No. 3, 01.07.2010, p. 221-229.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Embryonic gene expression among pollutant resistant and sensitive Fundulus heteroclitus populations
AU - Bozinovic, Goran
AU - Oleksiak, Marjorie F
PY - 2010/7/1
Y1 - 2010/7/1
N2 - Changes in gene expression, coupled with biochemical, physiological, and behavioral alterations, play a critical role in adaptation to environmental stress. Our goal was to explore ways natural populations may have adapted to local, polluted environments. We took advantage of natural populations of Fundulus heteroclitus, one of the few studied fish species in North America that has established resistant populations in highly contaminated urban estuaries. We analyzed morphology, physiology, and gene expression of developing F. heteroclitus embryos during late organogenesis (stage 31); these embryos were from both resistant and sensitive populations and were raised in a common, unpolluted environment. While cardiac heart rates show significant differences between embryos of parents from clean and heavily contaminated Superfund sites, time-to-stage, embryo morphology, and gene expression profile analyses do not differ significantly between untreated embryos from resistant and sensitive populations. Further evaluation that includes tissue-specific approaches in gene expression analysis and larger sample sizes may be necessary to highlight important phenotypes associated with mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance among natural F. heteroclitus embryo populations. Alternatively, population differences may be masked by developmental canalization, and biologically important differences between sensitive and resistant embryos may only manifest with exposure (e.g., be dependent on gene by environment interactions).
AB - Changes in gene expression, coupled with biochemical, physiological, and behavioral alterations, play a critical role in adaptation to environmental stress. Our goal was to explore ways natural populations may have adapted to local, polluted environments. We took advantage of natural populations of Fundulus heteroclitus, one of the few studied fish species in North America that has established resistant populations in highly contaminated urban estuaries. We analyzed morphology, physiology, and gene expression of developing F. heteroclitus embryos during late organogenesis (stage 31); these embryos were from both resistant and sensitive populations and were raised in a common, unpolluted environment. While cardiac heart rates show significant differences between embryos of parents from clean and heavily contaminated Superfund sites, time-to-stage, embryo morphology, and gene expression profile analyses do not differ significantly between untreated embryos from resistant and sensitive populations. Further evaluation that includes tissue-specific approaches in gene expression analysis and larger sample sizes may be necessary to highlight important phenotypes associated with mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance among natural F. heteroclitus embryo populations. Alternatively, population differences may be masked by developmental canalization, and biologically important differences between sensitive and resistant embryos may only manifest with exposure (e.g., be dependent on gene by environment interactions).
KW - Developmental stages
KW - Embryo gene expression
KW - Fundulus heteroclitus
KW - Microarrays
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77953686022&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77953686022&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.aquatox.2010.02.022
DO - 10.1016/j.aquatox.2010.02.022
M3 - Article
C2 - 20363516
AN - SCOPUS:77953686022
VL - 98
SP - 221
EP - 229
JO - Aquatic Toxicology
JF - Aquatic Toxicology
SN - 0166-445X
IS - 3
ER -