biostudies-literatureUnknownPark JNIEHS NIH HHSExposures to environmental toxicants can have both immediate and long-term impacts, including those that persist into the next generation. Using Gulf killifish (<i>Fundulus grandis</i>), we tested whether adult progenitor exposure to crude oil caused perturbations to larval morphology and embryonic genome-wide gene expression in their first- and second-generation descendants raised in clean water. We also tracked responses of additional direct oil exposures in the F1 and F2 embryos. Exposure to oil in progenitor fish caused altered larval morphology in F1 and F2 descendants. Some perturbations were enhanced by additional oil exposure in lineages with progenitors that had been exposed to oil. Progenitor exposures altered embryonic gene expression in F1 and F2 descendants, implicating impactbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2025.02.10.637481https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11844404biostudies-literatureAdult killifish exposure to crude oil perturbs embryonic gene expression and larval morphology in first- and second-generation offspring.PMC11844404R01 ES021934Hess CPark JGalvez FWhitehead AAeppli CRocke DBrown CfalseAdult killifish exposure to crude oil perturbs embryonic gene expression and larval morphology in first- and second-generation offspring.Exposures to environmental toxicants can have both immediate and long-term impacts, including those that persist into the next generation. Using Gulf killifish (<i>Fundulus grandis</i>), we tested whether adult progenitor exposure to crude oil caused perturbations to larval morphology and embryonic genome-wide gene expression in their first- and second-generation descendants raised in clean water. We also tracked responses of additional direct oil exposures in the F1 and F2 embryos. Exposure to oil in progenitor fish caused altered larval morphology in F1 and F2 descendants. Some perturbations were enhanced by additional oil exposure in lineages with progenitors that had been exposed to oil. Progenitor exposures altered embryonic gene expression in F1 and F2 descendants, implicating impact2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Feb2026-04-08T09:58:35.626Z2025-04-04T13:21:45.936ZS-EPMC118444043999037210.1101/2025.02.10.637481