Project description:A convergence of technological breakthroughs in the past decade has facilitated the development of rapid screening tools for biomarkers of toxicant exposure and effect. Platforms using the whole adult organism to evaluate the genome-wide response to toxicants are especially attractive. Recent work demonstrates the feasibility of this approach in vertebrates using the experimentally robust zebrafish model. In the present study, we evaluated gene expression changes in whole adult zebrafish following an acute 24 hour exposure to three metals with known human health risks. Male adult zebrafish were exposed to nickel chloride, cobalt chloride, and sodium dichromate concentrations corresponding to their respective 96 hr LC20, LC40 and LC60. Histopathology was performed on a subset of metal-exposed zebrafish to phenotypically anchor transcriptional changes associated with each metal. Comparative analysis identified subsets of differentially expressed transcripts both overlapping and unique to each metal. Application of gene ontology (GO) and transcription factor enrichment algorithms revealed a number of key biological processes perturbed by metal exposures and the master transcriptional regulators mediating gene expression changes. Metal exposures differentially activated biological processes associated with ribosome biogenesis, proteosomal degradation and p53 signaling cascades, while repressing oxygen-generating pathways associated with amino acid and lipid metabolism. Despite appreciable effects on gene regulation, nickel exposures did not induce any morphological alterations in zebrafish organs and tissues. Histopathological effects of cobalt remained confined to the olfactory system, while chromium targeted the gills, pharynx and intestinal mucosa. A number of enriched transcription factors mediate the observed gene response to metal exposure, including known targets such as p53, HIF1M-oM-^AM-! and the myc oncogene and novel regulatory factors such as XBP1, GATA6 and HNF3M-oM-^AM-". This work uses an experimentally innovative approach to capture global responses to metal exposures and provides mechanistic insights into metal toxicity mechanisms. Metal induced changes in gene expression in zebrafish were measured after 24 h exposures to each of three metals (nickel, chromium or cobalt). A total of 48 arrays were processed - 16 arrays per metal with 4 replicates for each exposure condition (control, low, mid, and high).

Project description:A convergence of technological breakthroughs in the past decade has facilitated the development of rapid screening tools for biomarkers of toxicant exposure and effect. Platforms using the whole adult organism to evaluate the genome-wide response to toxicants are especially attractive. Recent work demonstrates the feasibility of this approach in vertebrates using the experimentally robust zebrafish model. In the present study, we evaluated gene expression changes in whole adult zebrafish following an acute 24 hour exposure to three metals with known human health risks. Male adult zebrafish were exposed to nickel chloride, cobalt chloride, and sodium dichromate concentrations corresponding to their respective 96 hr LC20, LC40 and LC60. Histopathology was performed on a subset of metal-exposed zebrafish to phenotypically anchor transcriptional changes associated with each metal. Comparative analysis identified subsets of differentially expressed transcripts both overlapping and unique to each metal. Application of gene ontology (GO) and transcription factor enrichment algorithms revealed a number of key biological processes perturbed by metal exposures and the master transcriptional regulators mediating gene expression changes. Metal exposures differentially activated biological processes associated with ribosome biogenesis, proteosomal degradation and p53 signaling cascades, while repressing oxygen-generating pathways associated with amino acid and lipid metabolism. Despite appreciable effects on gene regulation, nickel exposures did not induce any morphological alterations in zebrafish organs and tissues. Histopathological effects of cobalt remained confined to the olfactory system, while chromium targeted the gills, pharynx and intestinal mucosa. A number of enriched transcription factors mediate the observed gene response to metal exposure, including known targets such as p53, HIF1 and the myc oncogene and novel regulatory factors such as XBP1, GATA6 and HNF3. This work uses an experimentally innovative approach to capture global responses to metal exposures and provides mechanistic insights into metal toxicity mechanisms.

Project description:Purpose: This study aimed to identify differentially expressed genes and transcripts in zebrafish embryos and larvae following benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) exposure. Methods: Adult zebrafish (2 males × 4 females, N=6 replicate tanks for each treatment) were acclimated for 7 days in an 818 Low Temp Illuminated Incubator (Precision Scientific, Chennai, India) at 28.5°C. Next, adult fish were waterborne exposed to control or 50 μg/L (ppb) BaP for 7 days; ethanol was used as vehicle solvent, and final ethanol concentration was 0.1 mL/L (100 ppm) in all treatment groups. This dose of ethanol is not teratogenic to zebrafish. Water was changed and/or re-dosed daily. From day 7 to 11 of the parental exposure, eggs were collected, counted, and raised in normal conditions (control) or continuously exposed to 50 μg/L BaP until 3.3 and 96 hours post fertilization (hpf). At 3.3 or 96 hpf, embryos (200/pool) or larvae (10/pool) were collected and pooled. Total RNA was isolated for transcriptomic RNA sequencing with Illumina HiSeq2000 (2X100bp). RNA-seq reads were uploaded to the galaxy platform https://main.g2.bx.psu.edu/. RNA-seq reads were trimmed, filtered, and aligned to the zebrafish genome (Danio_rerio.Zv9.68) with the Tophat for Illumina tool. Counting and annotation of RNA-seq reads were performed with Partek Genomics Suite version 6.11. Refseq Transcripts (2013-04-10) and Ensembl Transcripts release 70 databases were used for gene and transcript annotation. Differential expression of gene and transcript reads between treatments was analyzed with R package EdgeR. Genes/transcripts with false discovery rate (FDR) less than 0.05 and absolute fold change greater than 1.5 were considered as significant. Differentially expressed genes were defined as genes with altered expression at either gene or transcript level. Results: Differential expression analysis with EdgeR revealed that gene expression was vastly different between 3.3 hpf zebrafish embryos and 96 hpf larvae. Using Refseq annotation, we found that 10644 out of 13950 transcribed zebrafish genes were differentially expressed between the two developmental time-points, with 5961 up-regulated genes and 4683 down-regulated genes in 96 hpf larvae compared with 3.3 hpf embryos. Similarly, using Ensembl annotation, 16529 out of 19886 transcribed zebrafish genes were differentially expressed, with 9318 up-regulated genes and 7211 down-regulated genes in 96 hpf larvae compared with 3.3 hpf embryos. In 3.3 hpf embryos, four genes and seven transcripts were differentially expressed after BaP exposure. In 96 hpf larvae, 447 and 484 zebrafish genes were significantly up- and down-regulated, respectively, by BaP exposure. Conclusions: Parental and developmental BaP exposure caused gene expression changes in zebrafish embryos and larvae.

Project description:A novel ArsR-SmtB family transcriptional repressor, KmtR, has been characterised from mycobacteria. Mutants of M. tuberculosis lacking kmtR show elevated expression of Rv2025c encoding a deduced CDF-family metal-exporter. KmtR-dependent repression of the cdf and kmtR operator-promoters was alleviated by nickel and cobalt in minimal medium. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and fluorescence anisotropy (FA) show binding of purified KmtR to nucleotide sequences containing a region of dyad symmetry from the cdf and kmtR operator-promoters. A relatively large deltar(obs) in FA implies formation of high order apo-KmtR(n)-DNA and multiple complexes were detected by EMSA. Incubation of KmtR with cobalt inhibits DNA-complex assembly and metal-protein binding was confirmed by competition against 4-(2-pyridylazo)-resorcinol. KmtR is the second, to NmtR, characterised ArsR-SmtB sensor of nickel and cobalt from M. tuberculosis suggesting special significance for these ions in this pathogen. KmtR-dependent expression is elevated in complete medium with no increase in response to metals, while NmtR retains a response to nickel and cobalt under these conditions. Mixing equimolar apo-KmtR and apo-NmtR with 0.8 equivalents of nickel or cobalt gave nickel- and cobalt-dependent difference emission spectra similar to nickel(0.8)-KmtR and cobalt(0.8)-KmtR, respectively. Thus, KmtR has tighter affinities for nickel and cobalt than NmtR consistent with basal levels of these metals being sensed by KmtR but not NmtR in complete medium. More than a thousand genes encoding ArsR-SmtB related proteins are listed in databases and a proportion can be predicted to detect metals through known allosteric sites. KmtR has none of the previously defined sites. Substitution of His(88), Glu(101), His(102), His(110) or His(111) with Gln generated KmtR-variants that repress the cdf and kmtR operator-promoters even in elevated nickel and cobalt, revealing a new sensory site. Importantly, ArsR-SmtB sequence groupings do not correspond with the different sensory-motifs revealing that only the latter should be used to predict metal-sensing. Data is also available from http://bugs.sgul.ac.uk/E-BUGS-49

Project description:Purpose: This study aimed to identify differentially expressed genes and transcripts in zebrafish embryos and larvae following benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) exposure. Methods: Adult zebrafish (2 males × 4 females, N=6 replicate tanks for each treatment) were acclimated for 7 days in an 818 Low Temp Illuminated Incubator (Precision Scientific, Chennai, India) at 28.5°C. Next, adult fish were waterborne exposed to control or 50 μg/L (ppb) BaP for 7 days; ethanol was used as vehicle solvent, and final ethanol concentration was 0.1 mL/L (100 ppm) in all treatment groups. This dose of ethanol is not teratogenic to zebrafish. Water was changed and/or re-dosed daily. From day 7 to 11 of the parental exposure, eggs were collected, counted, and raised in normal conditions (control) or continuously exposed to 50 μg/L BaP until 3.3 and 96 hours post fertilization (hpf). At 3.3 or 96 hpf, embryos (200/pool) or larvae (10/pool) were collected and pooled. Total RNA was isolated for transcriptomic RNA sequencing with Illumina HiSeq2000 (2X100bp). RNA-seq reads were uploaded to the galaxy platform https://main.g2.bx.psu.edu/. RNA-seq reads were trimmed, filtered, and aligned to the zebrafish genome (Danio_rerio.Zv9.68) with the Tophat for Illumina tool. Counting and annotation of RNA-seq reads were performed with Partek Genomics Suite version 6.11. Refseq Transcripts (2013-04-10) and Ensembl Transcripts release 70 databases were used for gene and transcript annotation. Differential expression of gene and transcript reads between treatments was analyzed with R package EdgeR. Genes/transcripts with false discovery rate (FDR) less than 0.05 and absolute fold change greater than 1.5 were considered as significant. Differentially expressed genes were defined as genes with altered expression at either gene or transcript level. Results: Differential expression analysis with EdgeR revealed that gene expression was vastly different between 3.3 hpf zebrafish embryos and 96 hpf larvae. Using Refseq annotation, we found that 10644 out of 13950 transcribed zebrafish genes were differentially expressed between the two developmental time-points, with 5961 up-regulated genes and 4683 down-regulated genes in 96 hpf larvae compared with 3.3 hpf embryos. Similarly, using Ensembl annotation, 16529 out of 19886 transcribed zebrafish genes were differentially expressed, with 9318 up-regulated genes and 7211 down-regulated genes in 96 hpf larvae compared with 3.3 hpf embryos. In 3.3 hpf embryos, four genes and seven transcripts were differentially expressed after BaP exposure. In 96 hpf larvae, 447 and 484 zebrafish genes were significantly up- and down-regulated, respectively, by BaP exposure. Conclusions: Parental and developmental BaP exposure caused gene expression changes in zebrafish embryos and larvae. Illumina HiSeq2000 deep sequencing was used to generate transcriptomic profiles for BaP-exposed 3.3 hpf zebrafish embryos (n=3 for control, n=3 for BaP) and 96 hpf larvae (n=2 for control, n=2 for BaP).

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Comparative analysis of the transcriptome responses of zebrafish embryos after exposure to low concentrations of essential and non-essential metals.

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