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Debier C, Pirard L, Verhaegen M, Rzucidlo C, Tinant G, Dewulf C, Larondelle Y, Smith DR, Rees JF, Crocker DE. In vitro Lipolysis and Leptin Production of Elephant Seal Blubber Using Precision-Cut Adipose Tissue Slices. Front Physiol 2020; 11:615784. [PMID: 33362587 PMCID: PMC7758477 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.615784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adipose tissue plays key roles in energy homeostasis. Understanding its metabolism and regulation is essential to predict the impact of environmental changes on wildlife health, especially in fasting-adapted species. However, in vivo experimental work in wild vertebrates can be challenging. We have developed a novel in vitro approach of precision-cut adipose tissue slices from northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) as a complementary approach to whole animal models. Blubber biopsies were collected from 14 pups during early and late post-weaning fast (Año Nuevo, CA, United States), precision-cut into 1 mm thick slices and maintained in culture at 37°C for at least 63 h. The slices exhibited an efficient response to ß-adrenergic stimulation, even after 2 days of culture, revealing good in vitro tissue function. The response to lipolytic stimulus did not vary between regions of outer and inner blubber, but was higher at early than at late fast for inner blubber slices. At early fast, lipolysis significantly reduced leptin production. At this stage, inner blubber slices were also more efficient at producing leptin than outer blubber slices, especially in the non-lipolytic condition. This model will aid the study of adipose tissue metabolism and its response to environmental stressors in marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy Debier
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Laura Pirard
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Marie Verhaegen
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Caroline Rzucidlo
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, United States
| | - Gilles Tinant
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Clément Dewulf
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Yvan Larondelle
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Donald R Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | - Jean-François Rees
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, United States
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Grajewska A, Falkowska L, Saniewska D, Pawliczka I. Changes in total mercury, methylmercury, and selenium blood levels during different life history stages of the Baltic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus grypus). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 676:268-277. [PMID: 31048158 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Using the blood of grey seal pups, the blood and milk of female grey seals inhabiting the Hel Marine Station of Gdansk University's Institute of Oceanography (HMS), we monitored the transfer of total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg), and selenium (Se) with blood during foetal life and nursing. Changes in the concentration of mercury and selenium were characterised in the pups' blood during their first three months of life when they transition from suckling, to a post-weaning fast, to eating fish. In the blood of pregnant females, there was a significant decrease in THg and MeHg concentrations throughout the gestation, indicating the transfer of these toxins through the placenta into the foetus. At no other stage of the pup's development was there such a high level of THg and MeHg as on the day of birth, despite the incorporation of mercury into the lanugo during foetal growth. This suggests that the maternal transfer of mercury during gestation may be the time of greatest mercury exposure for a young seal pup. The consumption of milk caused a rapid increase in weight and a lowering of the mercury level in the blood in the subsequent days of the pups' life. The postweaning fast was the period of the lowest mercury concentration. The switch to a diet consisting of fish caused a systematic increase in the concentration of mercury in the blood of the pups. Milk was the significant source of selenium for pups and the selenium concentration in females' blood was reduced during lactation. The nursing period seemed to have the greatest impact on the mercury and selenium blood levels in examined seals. Natural development of the grey seal pup created an opportunity to decrease the levels of toxic substances obtained through the maternal transfer during foetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Grajewska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Lucyna Falkowska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Dominika Saniewska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Iwona Pawliczka
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Professor Krzysztof Skóra Hel Marine Station, ul. Morska 2, 84-150 Hel, Poland
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3
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Spraker TR, Kuzmina TA, Lyons ET, DeLong RL, Simeone C, Veeramachaneni DNR. Multifocal Necrotizing Myopathy in Northern Elephant Seal ( Mirounga angustirostris) Pups, San Miguel Island, California. Vet Pathol 2018; 56:143-151. [PMID: 30222053 DOI: 10.1177/0300985818790268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A field study addressing causes of mortality in freshly dead northern elephant seals ( Mirounga angustirostris, Gill, 1866) was conducted on San Miguel Island, California, in February 2015. Necropsies were performed on 18 pups ranging in age from stillbirths to approximately 7 to 8 weeks. The primary gross diagnoses in these pups included trauma, myopathy, starvation/emaciation, infections, congenital anomalies, and perinatal mortality. However, 6 (33%) had a previously unrecognized myopathy characterized by multiple white streaks that were most obvious within the inner layer of the abdominal wall and the small innermost ventral intercostal muscles. Following histological examination, 2 more pups from San Miguel Island and 6 pups from The Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito, California) were found to have similar lesions. Histologically, the lesions within the skeletal muscles were characterized by a multifocal polyphasic, mild to severe, acute to subacute necrotizing myopathy with mineralization. Acute necrosis and degeneration characterized by pyknotic nuclei, eosinophilic cytoplasm and cytoplasmic vacuolization were found in smooth muscle myocytes within the urinary bladder and digestive system. Degeneration of myocytes was present in the tunica media of a few small- to medium-sized vessels and was characterized by a vacuolar degeneration and occasionally necrosis. This condition has been termed multifocal necrotizing myopathy. A cause of this myopathy was not identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry R Spraker
- 1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Eugene T Lyons
- 3 Department of Veterinary Science, Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Robert L DeLong
- 4 Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - D N Rao Veeramachaneni
- 1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Jackson E, Shoemaker R, Larian N, Cassis L. Adipose Tissue as a Site of Toxin Accumulation. Compr Physiol 2017; 7:1085-1135. [PMID: 28915320 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c160038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
We examine the role of adipose tissue, typically considered an energy storage site, as a potential site of toxicant accumulation. Although the production of most persistent organic pollutants (POPs) was banned years ago, these toxicants persist in the environment due to their resistance to biodegradation and widespread distribution in various environmental forms (e.g., vapor, sediment, and water). As a result, human exposure to these toxicants is inevitable. Largely due to their lipophilicity, POPs bioaccumulate in adipose tissue, resulting in greater body burdens of these environmental toxicants with obesity. POPs of major concern include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDDs/PCDFs), and polybrominated biphenyls and diphenyl ethers (PBBs/PBDEs), among other organic compounds. In this review, we (i) highlight the physical characteristics of toxicants that enable them to partition into and remain stored in adipose tissue, (ii) discuss the specific mechanisms of action by which these toxicants act to influence adipocyte function, and (iii) review associations between POP exposures and the development of obesity and diabetes. An area of controversy relates to the relative potential beneficial versus hazardous health effects of toxicant sequestration in adipose tissue. © 2017 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 7:1085-1135, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Jackson
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Robin Shoemaker
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Nika Larian
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Lisa Cassis
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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Peterson MG, Peterson SH, Debier C, Covaci A, Dirtu AC, Malarvannan G, Crocker DE, Costa DP. Serum POP concentrations are highly predictive of inner blubber concentrations at two extremes of body condition in northern elephant seals. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 218:651-663. [PMID: 27503056 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.07.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Long-lived, upper trophic level marine mammals are vulnerable to bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Internal tissues may accumulate and mobilize POP compounds at different rates related to the body condition of the animal and the chemical characteristics of individual POP compounds; however, collection of samples from multiple tissues is a major challenge to ecotoxicology studies of free-ranging marine mammals and the ability to predict POP concentrations in one tissue from another tissue remains rare. Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) forage on mesopelagic fish and squid for months at a time in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, interspersed with two periods of fasting on land, which results in dramatic seasonal fluctuations in body condition. Using northern elephant seals, we examined commonly studied tissues in mammalian toxicology to describe relationships and determine predictive equations among tissues for a suite of POP compounds, including ΣDDTs, ΣPCBs, Σchlordanes, and ΣPBDEs. We collected paired blubber (inner and outer) and blood serum samples from adult female and male seals in 2012 and 2013 at Año Nuevo State Reserve (California, USA). For females (N = 24), we sampled the same seals before (late in molting fast) and after (early in breeding fast) their approximately seven month foraging trip. For males, we sampled different seals before (N = 14) and after (N = 15) their approximately four month foraging trip. We observed strong relationships among tissues for many, but not all compounds. Serum POP concentrations were strong predictors of inner blubber POP concentrations for both females and males, while serum was a more consistent predictor of outer blubber for males than females. The ability to estimate POP blubber concentrations from serum, or vice versa, has the potential to enhance toxicological assessment and physiological modeling. Furthermore, predictive equations may illuminate commonalities or distinctions in bioaccumulation across marine mammal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Peterson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA.
| | - Sarah H Peterson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Cathy Debier
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 2/L7.05.08, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Center, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Alin C Dirtu
- Toxicological Center, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Chemistry, "Al. I. Cuza" University of Iasi, Carol I Bvd, No. 11, 700506, Iasi, Romania
| | - Govindan Malarvannan
- Toxicological Center, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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Hoydal KS, Ciesielski TM, Borrell A, Wasik A, Letcher RJ, Dam M, Jenssen BM. Relationships between concentrations of selected organohalogen contaminants and thyroid hormones and vitamins A, E and D in Faroese pilot whales. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 148:386-400. [PMID: 27131793 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 04/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Pilot whales (Globicephala melas) from the Faroe Islands, North-East Atlantic, have high body concentrations of organohalogenated compounds (OHCs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). The aim of the present study was to examine if and to what extent blood plasma and liver concentrations of several groups of these OHCs are related to concentrations of relevant nutritional and hormonal biomarkers in pilot whales. Thyroid hormones (THs: total and free thyroxine and total and free triiodothyronine) and vitamin A (retinol), D (25-hydroxyvitamin D3) and E (α-tocopherol) were analysed in plasma (n=27) and vitamin A (total vitamin A, retinol and retinyl palmitate) and E (α- and γ-tocopherol) were analysed in liver (n=37) of Faroe Island pilot whales. Correlative relationships between the biomarkers and OHC concentrations previously analysed in the same tissues in these individuals were studied. The TH concentrations in plasma were significantly higher in juveniles than in adults. Vitamin D concentrations in plasma and α- and γ-tocopherol in liver were higher in adults than in juveniles. Multivariate statistical modelling showed that the age and sex influenced the relationship between biomarkers and OHCs. Some significant positive relationships were found between OHCs and thyroid hormone concentrations in the youngest juveniles (p<0.05). In plasma of juvenile whales α-tocopherol was also positively correlated with all the OHCs (p<0.05). Only few significant correlations were found between single OHCs and retinol and vitamin D in plasma within the age groups. There were significant negative relationships between hepatic PBDE concentrations and retinol (BDE-47) and γ-tocopherol (BDE-49, -47, -100, -99, -153) in liver. The relationships between OHCs and THs or vitamins suggest that in pilot whales OHCs seem to have minor effects on TH and vitamin concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin S Hoydal
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Environment Agency, Traðagøta 38, FO-165 Argir, Faroe Islands.
| | - Tomasz M Ciesielski
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Department of Animal Biology and Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrzej Wasik
- Gdańsk University of Technology, Chemical Faculty, Department of Analytical Chemistry, G. Narutowicza 11/12 St., 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr. (Raven Road), Ottawa K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Maria Dam
- Environment Agency, Traðagøta 38, FO-165 Argir, Faroe Islands
| | - Bjørn M Jenssen
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
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7
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Louis C, Covaci A, Crocker DE, Debier C. Lipophilicity of PCBs and fatty acids determines their mobilisation from blubber of weaned northern elephant seal pups. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 541:599-602. [PMID: 26439651 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.09.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exhibit lipophilic properties that lead to their bioaccumulation in adipose tissue. Following PCB exposition, northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) concentrate high amounts of these pollutants in their large adipose tissue stores. During lipolytic periods such as the post-weaning fast, fatty acids (FAs), which form triglycerides, and PCBs are both mobilised from adipose tissue. Our results showed that the degree of lipophilicity of FAs and PCBs impacted their release: the more lipophilic FAs and PCBs tended to be more conserved in blubber over the fast than the less lipophilic ones. This led to an enrichment of more lipophilic compounds within adipocytes with the progression of the fast. Life history patterns that include fasting may thus influence the profile of blubber lipids and contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Louis
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 2/L7.05.08, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toxicological Center, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA
| | - Cathy Debier
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 2/L7.05.08, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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8
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Alonso MB, Feo ML, Corcellas C, Gago-Ferrero P, Bertozzi CP, Marigo J, Flach L, Meirelles ACO, Carvalho VL, Azevedo AF, Torres JPM, Lailson-Brito J, Malm O, Diaz-Cruz MS, Eljarrat E, Barceló D. Toxic heritage: Maternal transfer of pyrethroid insecticides and sunscreen agents in dolphins from Brazil. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2015; 207:391-402. [PMID: 26453834 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Pyrethroids (PYR) and UV filters (UVF) were investigated in tissues of paired mother-fetus dolphins from Brazilian coast in order to investigate the possibility of maternal transfer of these emerging contaminants. Comparison of PYR and UVF concentrations in maternal and fetal blubber revealed Franciscana transferred efficiently both contaminants to fetuses (F/M > 1) and Guiana dolphin transferred efficiently PYR to fetuses (F/M > 1) different than UVF (F/M < 1). PYR and UVF concentrations in fetuses were the highest-ever reported in biota (up to 6640 and 11,530 ng/g lw, respectively). Muscle was the organ with the highest PYR and UVF concentrations (p < 0.001), suggesting that these two classes of emerging contaminants may have more affinity for proteins than for lipids. The high PYR and UVF concentrations found in fetuses demonstrate these compounds are efficiently transferred through placenta. This study is the first to report maternal transfer of pyrethroids and UV filters in marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana B Alonso
- Radioisotopes Laboratory Eduardo Penna Franca (LREPF), Biophysics Institute Carlos Chagas Filho (IBCCF), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil; Aquatic Mammals and Bioindicator Laboratory (MAQUA), School of Oceanography, Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), Brazil; Laboratório de Biologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha - Biopesca - Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Unesp, Campus Litoral Paulista, Brazil
| | - Maria Luisa Feo
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA, CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cayo Corcellas
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA, CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Gago-Ferrero
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA, CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carolina P Bertozzi
- Laboratório de Biologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha - Biopesca - Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Unesp, Campus Litoral Paulista, Brazil
| | - Juliana Marigo
- Laboratório de Biologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha - Biopesca - Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Unesp, Campus Litoral Paulista, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Carolina O Meirelles
- Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos (AQUASIS), Caucaia, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Vitor L Carvalho
- Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos (AQUASIS), Caucaia, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Alexandre F Azevedo
- Aquatic Mammals and Bioindicator Laboratory (MAQUA), School of Oceanography, Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), Brazil
| | - João Paulo M Torres
- Radioisotopes Laboratory Eduardo Penna Franca (LREPF), Biophysics Institute Carlos Chagas Filho (IBCCF), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil
| | - José Lailson-Brito
- Aquatic Mammals and Bioindicator Laboratory (MAQUA), School of Oceanography, Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), Brazil
| | - Olaf Malm
- Radioisotopes Laboratory Eduardo Penna Franca (LREPF), Biophysics Institute Carlos Chagas Filho (IBCCF), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil
| | - M Silvia Diaz-Cruz
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA, CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ethel Eljarrat
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA, CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Damià Barceló
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA, CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Peterson SH, Peterson MG, Debier C, Covaci A, Dirtu AC, Malarvannan G, Crocker DE, Schwarz LK, Costa DP. Deep-ocean foraging northern elephant seals bioaccumulate persistent organic pollutants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 533:144-155. [PMID: 26151658 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
As top predators in the northeast Pacific Ocean, northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) are vulnerable to bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Our study examined a suite of POPs in blubber (inner and outer) and blood (serum) of free-ranging northern elephant seals. For adult females (N=24), we satellite tracked and sampled the same seals before and after their approximately seven month long foraging trip. For males, we sampled different adults and sub-adults before (N=14) and after (N=15) the same foraging trip. For females, we calculated blubber burdens for all compounds. The highest POP concentrations in males and females were found for ∑DDTs and ∑PCBs. In blubber and serum, males had significantly greater concentrations than females for almost all compounds. For males and females, ∑DDT and ∑PBDEs were highly correlated in blubber and serum. While ∑PCBs were highly correlated with ∑DDTs and ∑PBDEs in blubber and serum for males, ∑PCBs showed weaker correlations with both compounds in females. As females gained mass while foraging, concentrations of nearly all POPs in inner and outer blubber significantly decreased; however, the absolute burden in blubber significantly increased, indicating ingestion of contaminants while foraging. Additionally, we identified three clusters of seal foraging behavior, based on geography, diving behavior, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, which corresponded with differences in ∑DDTs, ∑PBDEs, MeO-BDE 47, as well as the ratio of ∑DDTs to ∑PCBs, indicating the potential for behavior to heighten or mitigate contaminant exposure. The greatest concentrations of ∑DDTs and ∑PBDEs were observed in the cluster that foraged closer to the coast and had blood samples more enriched in (13)C. Bioaccumulation of POPs by elephant seals supports mesopelagic food webs as a sink for POPs and highlights elephant seals as a potential sentinel of contamination in deep ocean food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Peterson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
| | - Michael G Peterson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Cathy Debier
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 2/L7.05.08, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Center, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Alin C Dirtu
- Toxicological Center, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Chemistry, "Al. I. Cuza" University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, Romania
| | - Govindan Malarvannan
- Toxicological Center, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA
| | - Lisa K Schwarz
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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10
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Louis C, Covaci A, Stas M, Crocker DE, Malarvannan G, Dirtu AC, Debier C. Bioaccumulation of hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls and pentachlorophenol in the serum of northern elephant seal pups (Mirounga angustirostris). ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 136:441-448. [PMID: 25460666 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.08.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Revised: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Northern elephant seals (NES) (Mirounga angustirostris) from the Año Nuevo State Reserve (CA, USA) were sampled at 1-, 4-, 7- and 10-week post-weaning. Concentrations of hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (HO-PCBs) and their parent PCBs were measured in the serum of each individual. The ΣHO-PCB concentrations in the serum increased significantly between early and late fast (from 282 ± 20 to 529 ± 31 pg/mL). This increase might result from a mobilisation of HO-PCBs transferred from the mother during gestation and/or lactation and stored in the pup's liver. Food deprivation has been shown to exacerbate biotransformation capacities in mammals, birds and fish. The HO-penta-CBs was the predominant homologue group, followed by HO-hexa-CBs and HO-hepta-CBs. No preferential pathway for the metabolism of HO-PCBs (HO-direct insertion or NIH-shift of a chlorine atom) could be evidenced. The concentrations of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in the serum of weaned NES increased from 103 ± 7 pg/mL at early fast to 246 ± 41 pg/mL at late fast, which is within the range of PCP concentrations usually encountered in marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Louis
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 2/L7.05.08, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toxicological Center, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Marie Stas
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 2/L7.05.08, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA
| | - Govindan Malarvannan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toxicological Center, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Alin C Dirtu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toxicological Center, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Chemistry, "Al. I. Cuza" University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, Romania
| | - Cathy Debier
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 2/L7.05.08, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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PCB-153 shows different dynamics of mobilisation from differentiated rat adipocytes during lipolysis in comparison with PCB-28 and PCB-118. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106495. [PMID: 25211159 PMCID: PMC4161324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants. Due to their lipophilic character, they are preferentially stored within the adipose tissue. During the mobilisation of lipids, PCBs might be released from adipocytes into the bloodstream. However, the mechanisms associated with the release of PCBs have been poorly studied. Several in vivo studies followed their dynamics of release but the complexity of the in vivo situation, which is characterised by a large range of pollutants, does not allow understanding precisely the behaviour of individual congeners. The present in vitro experiment studied the impact of (i) the number and position of chlorine atoms of PCBs on their release from adipocytes and (ii) the presence of other PCB congeners on the mobilisation rate of such molecules. Methodology/Principal Findings Differentiated rat adipocytes were used to compare the behaviour of PCB-28, -118 and -153. Cells were contaminated with the three congeners, alone or in cocktail, and a lipolysis was then induced with isoproterenol during 12 hours. Our data indicate that the three congeners were efficiently released from adipocytes and accumulated in the medium during the lipolysis. Interestingly, for a same level of cell lipids, PCB-153, a hexa-CB with two chlorine atoms in ortho-position, was mobilised slower than PCB-28, a tri-CB, and PCB-118, a penta-CB, which are both characterised by one chlorine atom in ortho-position. It suggests an impact of the chemical properties of pollutants on their mobilisation during periods of negative energy balance. Moreover, the mobilisation of PCB congeners, taken individually, did not seem to be influenced by the presence of other congeners within adipocytes. Conclusion/Significance These results not only highlight the obvious mobilisation of PCBs from adipocytes during lipolysis, in parallel to lipids, but also demonstrate that the structure of congeners defines their rate of release from adipocytes.
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Louis C, Dirtu AC, Stas M, Guiot Y, Malarvannan G, Das K, Costa DP, Crocker DE, Covaci A, Debier C. Mobilisation of lipophilic pollutants from blubber in northern elephant seal pups (Mirounga angustirostris) during the post-weaning fast. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2014; 132:438-448. [PMID: 24858284 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Revised: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Northern elephant seals (NES) (Mirounga angustirostris) from the Año Nuevo State Reserve (CA, USA) were longitudinally sampled during the post-weaning fast in order to study the mobilisation and redistribution of various classes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) between blubber and blood. Inner and outer blubber layers were analysed separately. Organohalogenated compounds were detected in all blubber samples in the decreasing order of their concentrations: p,p'-DDE > PCBs ⪢ HCB > PBDEs. The concentrations of all studied compounds were homogeneously distributed in the blubber layer at early fast, since the concentrations of POPs were statistically not different in the inner and outer layers. With the progression of the fast, the concentrations of PBDEs, PCBs and p,p'-DDE increased more sharply in inner blubber than in outer blubber. As a result, their levels became significantly higher in inner blubber as compared to outer blubber at late fast. The rise of pollutant concentrations in blubber might result from a less efficient mobilisation than triglycerides and/or a reuptake by adipocytes of some of the pollutants released into the circulation. The mobilisation of pollutants from blubber was higher at late fast. An increase of pollutant concentrations was observed in serum between early and late fast. Lower halogenated congeners (i.e. tetra-CBs) were present in higher proportions in serum, whereas the higher halogenated congeners (i.e. hepta-CBs) were mainly found in the inner and outer blubber layers. The transfer ratios of both PBDEs and PCBs from inner blubber to serum decreased with the number of chlorine and bromine atoms. In addition, the distribution of both types of compounds between serum and blubber was strongly influenced by their lipophilic character (logKow values), with more lipophilic compounds being less efficiently released from blubber to serum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Louis
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 2/L7.05.08, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Alin C Dirtu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toxicological Center, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Chemistry, "Al. I. Cuza" University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, Romania
| | - Marie Stas
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 2/L7.05.08, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Yves Guiot
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Govindan Malarvannan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toxicological Center, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Krishna Das
- Laboratoire d'Océanologie, MARE Center B6c, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, 100 Shaffer Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toxicological Center, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Cathy Debier
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 2/L7.05.08, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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13
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Effects of age, adipose percent, and reproduction on PCB concentrations and profiles in an extreme fasting North Pacific marine mammal. PLoS One 2014; 9:e96191. [PMID: 24755635 PMCID: PMC3995994 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2013] [Accepted: 04/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are widely distributed and detectable far from anthropogenic sources. Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) biannually travel thousands of kilometers to forage in coastal and open-ocean regions of the northeast Pacific Ocean and then return to land where they fast while breeding and molting. Our study examined potential effects of age, adipose percent, and the difference between the breeding and molting fasts on PCB concentrations and congener profiles in blubber and serum of northern elephant seal females. Between 2005 and 2007, we sampled blubber and blood from 58 seals before and after a foraging trip, which were then analyzed for PCBs. Age did not significantly affect total PCB concentrations; however, the proportion of PCB congeners with different numbers of chlorine atoms was significantly affected by age, especially in the outer blubber. Younger adult females had a significantly greater proportion of low-chlorinated PCBs (tri-, tetra-, and penta-CBs) than older females, with the opposite trend observed for hepta-CBs, indicating that an age-associated process such as parity (birth) may significantly affect congener profiles. The percent of adipose tissue had a significant relationship with inner blubber PCB concentrations, with the highest mean concentrations observed at the end of the molting fast. These results highlight the importance of sampling across the entire blubber layer when assessing contaminant levels in phocid seals and taking into account the adipose stores and reproductive status of an animal when conducting contaminant research.
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14
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Louis C, Van den Daelen C, Tinant G, Bourez S, Thomé JP, Donnay I, Larondelle Y, Debier C. Efficient in vitro adipocyte model of long-term lipolysis: a tool to study the behavior of lipophilic compounds. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2014; 50:507-18. [PMID: 24477563 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-014-9733-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The triglycerides (TGs) stored in the white adipose tissue are mobilized during periods of negative energy balance. To date, there is no in vitro model of adipocytes imitating a long period of negative energy balance in which triglycerides are highly mobilized. Such model would allow studying the mobilization of TGs and lipophilic compounds trapped within the adipose tissue (e.g., pollutants and vitamins). The present study aims at developing a performing long-term in vitro lipolysis in adipocytes, resulting in a significant decrease of TG stores. Lipolysis was induced on differentiated rat adipocytes by a lipolytic medium with or without isoproterenol for 12 h. The condition with isoproterenol was duplicated, once with medium renewal every 3 h and once without medium renewal. Adding isoproterenol efficiently triggered lipolysis in a short time (3 h). However, a single stimulation by isoproterenol, without medium renewal, was not sufficient to reduce the TG content during a longer term (12 h). A reesterification of fatty acids occurred after a few hours of lipolysis, resulting in a novel increase of cellular lipids. Regular medium renewal combined with repeated isoproterenol stimulations led to almost emptied cells after 12 h. However, medium renewal without isoproterenol stimulation for 12 h was as efficient in terms of lipid mobilization. Our study demonstrates that, over a short-term period, isoproterenol is required to exert a significant lipolytic effect on adipocytes. During a long-term period, the presence of isoproterenol is no longer essential. Instead, medium renewal becomes the main factor involved in cell emptying. The efficiency of this protocol was demonstrated by visual tracking of the cells and by monitoring the dynamics of release of a lipophilic compound, PCB-153, from adipocytes during lipolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Louis
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 2/L7.05.08, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium,
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15
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Desforges JPW, Ross PS, Dangerfield N, Palace VP, Whiticar M, Loseto LL. Vitamin A and E profiles as biomarkers of PCB exposure in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from the western Canadian Arctic. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2013; 142-143:317-328. [PMID: 24077185 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Revised: 08/07/2013] [Accepted: 08/09/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated the utility of vitamin A and E profiles as biomarkers of contaminant exposure in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas; n=66) harvested by the Inuvialuit in the Beaufort Sea. Blubber was an important repository for these vitamins, accounting for 76.8±2.6% of the total body store of vitamin A, and 98.5±0.4% of total vitamin E. While the free alcohol form of vitamin A (retinol) appeared highly regulated, the vitamin A esters were influenced by several biological factors including age, body condition and length. Vitamin E concentrations in liver and blubber were related to age, condition, length and feeding ecology, as described δ(15)N and δ(13)C. Despite the influence of these factors, collective results from univariate statistics, best fit multiple regressions, and principal component analysis (PCA) identified polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as important determinants of vitamin concentrations and profiles in beluga tissues. Blubber PCB concentrations best explained variation of the first principal component in a PCA of hepatic vitamins (r(2)=0.13, p=0.014), and regression models found that vitamin A concentrations were negatively correlated with PCB levels in liver (esters: r(2)=0.19, p=0.001), but positively in plasma (retinol: r(2)=0.20, p=0.06) and blubber (retinol: r(2)=0.22, p=0.001, esters: r(2)=0.43, p<0.001). Our analyses provide a basis to propose an integrated toxicity reference value for disruption of vitamin A and E profiles in beluga of 1.6 mg/kg lw PCBs. This disruption of vitamin profiles by moderate levels of PCBs in an arctic cetacean highlights the global reach and impact of these legacy chemicals decades after their peak use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre W Desforges
- University of Victoria, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC, Canada V8P 5C2; Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Institute of Ocean Sciences, 9860 West Saanich Road, P.O. Box 6000, Sidney, BC, Canada V8L 4B2
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Van der Eecken V, Clippe A, Dekoninck S, Goemaere J, Walbrecq G, Van Veldhoven PP, Knoops B. Abolition of peroxiredoxin-5 mitochondrial targeting during canid evolution. PLoS One 2013; 8:e72844. [PMID: 24023783 PMCID: PMC3759418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 07/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In human, the subcellular targeting of peroxiredoxin-5 (PRDX5), a thioredoxin peroxidase, is dependent on the use of multiple alternative transcription start sites and two alternative in-frame translation initiation sites, which determine whether or not the region encoding a mitochondrial targeting sequence (MTS) is translated. In the present study, the abolition of PRDX5 mitochondrial targeting in dog is highlighted and the molecular mechanism underlying the loss of mitochondrial PRDX5 during evolution is examined. Here, we show that the absence of mitochondrial PRDX5 is generalized among the extant canids and that the first events leading to PRDX5 MTS abolition in canids involve a mutation in the more 5′ translation initiation codon as well as the appearance of a STOP codon. Furthermore, we found that PRDX5 MTS functionality is maintained in giant panda and northern elephant seal, which are phylogenetically closely related to canids. Also, the functional consequences of the restoration of mitochondrial PRDX5 in dog Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells were investigated. The restoration of PRDX5 mitochondrial targeting in MDCK cells, instead of protecting, provokes deleterious effects following peroxide exposure independently of its peroxidase activity, indicating that mitochondrial PRDX5 gains cytotoxic properties under acute oxidative stress in MDCK cells. Altogether our results show that, although mitochondrial PRDX5 cytoprotective function against oxidative stress has been clearly demonstrated in human and rodents, PRDX5 targeting to mitochondria has been evolutionary lost in canids. Moreover, restoration of mitochondrial PRDX5 in dog MDCK cells, instead of conferring protection against peroxide exposure, makes them more vulnerable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Van der Eecken
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - André Clippe
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Sophie Dekoninck
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Julie Goemaere
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Geoffroy Walbrecq
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Paul P. Van Veldhoven
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, LIPIT, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bernard Knoops
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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