Project description:Female largemouth bass were injected with 10mg/kg dieldrin and sacrificed after 7 days. Hypothalami were dissected and total RNA extracted for microarray analysis. Exposure to dieldrin induces neurotoxic effects in the vertebrate CNS and disrupts reproductive processes in teleost fish. Reproductive impairment observed in fish is likely the result of multiple mechanisms of action along the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. To better elucidate the mode of action of dieldrin in the hypothalamus, we measured neurotransmitter levels and examined the transcriptomic response of female largemouth bass (LMB) to an acute treatment of dieldrin. Female LMB were injected with either vehicle or 10 mg/kg dieldrin and sacrificed after seven days. The neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid was significantly elevated by approximately 25-30% in the hypothalamus and cerebellum but there was no change in dopamine levels in the hypothalamus, telencephalon, or cerebellum. We identified 270 transcripts (p<0.001) as being differentially regulated by dieldrin. Functional enrichment analysis identified transcription, DNA repair, ubiquitin pathway, cell communication, and phosphorylation as biological processes over-represented in the microarray analysis. Pathway analysis identified DNA damage, inflammation, regeneration, and Alzheimer’s disease as major cell processes and diseases affected by dieldrin. Using multiple bioinformatics approaches, this study demonstrates that the teleostean hypothalamus is a target for dieldrin-induced neurotoxicity and provides mechanistic evidence that dieldrin activates similar cell pathways and biological processes that are involved in the etiology of human neurological disorders. Key words: ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, mutagenicity, neurodegeneration, apoptosis, DNA damage
Project description:Female largemouth bass were injected with 10mg/kg dieldrin and sacrificed after 7 days. Hypothalami were dissected and total RNA extracted for microarray analysis. Exposure to dieldrin induces neurotoxic effects in the vertebrate CNS and disrupts reproductive processes in teleost fish. Reproductive impairment observed in fish is likely the result of multiple mechanisms of action along the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. To better elucidate the mode of action of dieldrin in the hypothalamus, we measured neurotransmitter levels and examined the transcriptomic response of female largemouth bass (LMB) to an acute treatment of dieldrin. Female LMB were injected with either vehicle or 10 mg/kg dieldrin and sacrificed after seven days. The neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid was significantly elevated by approximately 25-30% in the hypothalamus and cerebellum but there was no change in dopamine levels in the hypothalamus, telencephalon, or cerebellum. We identified 270 transcripts (p<0.001) as being differentially regulated by dieldrin. Functional enrichment analysis identified transcription, DNA repair, ubiquitin pathway, cell communication, and phosphorylation as biological processes over-represented in the microarray analysis. Pathway analysis identified DNA damage, inflammation, regeneration, and Alzheimerâs disease as major cell processes and diseases affected by dieldrin. Using multiple bioinformatics approaches, this study demonstrates that the teleostean hypothalamus is a target for dieldrin-induced neurotoxicity and provides mechanistic evidence that dieldrin activates similar cell pathways and biological processes that are involved in the etiology of human neurological disorders. Key words: ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, mutagenicity, neurodegeneration, apoptosis, DNA damage Largemouth bass injected with single i.p. with 10 mg/kg diedrin; sacrificed 7 days later, hypothalamic tissue studied
Project description:17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2), used for birth control in humans, is a potent estrogen that is found in wastewater at low concentrations (ng/L). EE2 has the ability to interfere with the endocrine system of fish, affecting reproduction which can result in population level effects. The objective of this study was to determine if dietary exposure to EE2 would alter gene expression patterns and key pathways in the liver and ovary and whether these could be associated with reproductive endpoints in female largemouth bass (LMB) during egg development. Female LMB received 70 ng EE2/g feed (feed administered at 1% of body weight) for 60 days. EE2 dietary exposure significantly reduced plasma vitellogenin concentrations by 70%. Hepatosomatic and gonadosomatic indices were also decreased with EE2 feeding by 38.5% and 40%, respectively. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that there were more changes in steady-state mRNA levels in the liver compared to the ovary. Genes associated with reproduction were differentially expressed such as vitellogenin in the liver and aromatase in the gonad. In addition, a set of genes related with oxidative stress (e.g., glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase) were identified as altered in the liver and genes associated with the immune system (e.g., complement component 1, and macrophage-inducible C-type lectin) were altered in the gonad. In a follow-up study with 0.2 ng EE2/g feed for 60 days, similar phenotypic and gene expression changes were observed that support these findings with the higher concentrations. This study provides new insights into how dietary exposure to EE2 interferes with endocrine signaling pathways in female LMB during a critical period of reproductive oogenesis.
Project description:Background: Follicular growth and maturation in semi-synchronously spawning fish involve numerous cell signaling cascades and different molecular cascades are activated or inhibited during specific stages of oocyte development. The objectives of the current study were to identify molecular pathways and temporal gene expression patterns throughout a complete breeding cycle in female wild LMB to characterize the molecular sequence of events underlying follicle and ovary development. Methods: Microarray analysis was performed on eight morphologically distinct stages, from primary stages of oocyte growth to ovulation and atresia. Ovarian tissue histology, plasma vitellogenin, and sex steroids (E2 and T) were also measured to correlate molecular signaling cascades to higher levels of biological organization. Results: Global expression patterns revealed dramatic differences between early and late stages of ovarian follicle progression, with over 200 and 500 genes being differentially expressed during both ovulation and atresia respectively (p < 0.01). Time course analysis for all stages leading to ovulation and atresia identified increased expression of GABAA receptor subunits and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma during ovulation. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that early stages of oocyte growth involved increases in pathways of natural killer cell and mast cell activation, as well as gap junction regulation. GSEA revealed that arachidonic acid metabolism was significantly up-regulated while CD2, fibronectin, and neuropeptides Y receptor signaling cascades were down-regulated at ovulation. Expression targets for LH signaling were decreased during vitellogenesis but increased at ovulation. GSEA revealed decreases in actin cytoskeleton regulation and receptor mediated signaling pathways involving TGF? and ephrin receptor regulation at atresia. Conclusions: This study offers new insight into the molecular pathways involved in vitellogenesis, ovulation and atresia in LMB and provides new hypotheses about the cellular pathways involved in oocyte growth and maturation. 31 microarrays on 8 unique stages of ovary development; developmental profile time course, development of LMB ovary
Project description:Background: Follicular growth and maturation in semi-synchronously spawning fish involve numerous cell signaling cascades and different molecular cascades are activated or inhibited during specific stages of oocyte development. The objectives of the current study were to identify molecular pathways and temporal gene expression patterns throughout a complete breeding cycle in female wild LMB to characterize the molecular sequence of events underlying follicle and ovary development. Methods: Microarray analysis was performed on eight morphologically distinct stages, from primary stages of oocyte growth to ovulation and atresia. Ovarian tissue histology, plasma vitellogenin, and sex steroids (E2 and T) were also measured to correlate molecular signaling cascades to higher levels of biological organization. Results: Global expression patterns revealed dramatic differences between early and late stages of ovarian follicle progression, with over 200 and 500 genes being differentially expressed during both ovulation and atresia respectively (p < 0.01). Time course analysis for all stages leading to ovulation and atresia identified increased expression of GABAA receptor subunits and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma during ovulation. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that early stages of oocyte growth involved increases in pathways of natural killer cell and mast cell activation, as well as gap junction regulation. GSEA revealed that arachidonic acid metabolism was significantly up-regulated while CD2, fibronectin, and neuropeptides Y receptor signaling cascades were down-regulated at ovulation. Expression targets for LH signaling were decreased during vitellogenesis but increased at ovulation. GSEA revealed decreases in actin cytoskeleton regulation and receptor mediated signaling pathways involving TGFβ and ephrin receptor regulation at atresia. Conclusions: This study offers new insight into the molecular pathways involved in vitellogenesis, ovulation and atresia in LMB and provides new hypotheses about the cellular pathways involved in oocyte growth and maturation.