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Evensen KG, Rusin E, Robinson WE, Price CL, Kelly SL, Lamb DC, Goldstone JV, Poynton HC. Vertebrate endocrine disruptors induce sex-reversal in blue mussels. Sci Rep 2024; 14:23890. [PMID: 39396059 PMCID: PMC11470919 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-74212-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 09/24/2024] [Indexed: 10/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Mollusks are the second most diverse animal phylum, yet little is known about their endocrinology or how they respond to endocrine disrupting compound (EDC) pollution. Characteristic effects of endocrine disruption are reproductive impairment, skewed sex ratios, development of opposite sex characteristics, and population decline. However, whether classical vertebrate EDCs, such as steroid hormone-like chemicals and inhibitors of steroidogenesis, exert effects on mollusks is controversial. In the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, EDC exposure is correlated with feminized sex ratios in wild and laboratory mussels, but sex reversal has not been confirmed. Here, we describe a non-destructive qPCR assay to identify the sex of M. edulis allowing identification of males and females prior to experimentation. We exposed male mussels to 17α-ethinylestradiol and female mussels to ketoconazole, EDCs that mimic vertebrate steroid hormones or inhibit their biosynthesis. Both chemicals changed the sex of individual mussels, interfered with gonadal development, and disrupted gene expression of the sex differentiation pathway. Impacts from ketoconazole treatment, including changes in steroid levels, confirmed a role for steroidogenesis and steroid-like hormones in mollusk endocrinology. The present study expands the possibilities for laboratory and field monitoring of mollusk species and provides key insights into endocrine disruption and sexual differentiation in bivalves.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Garrett Evensen
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily Rusin
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William E Robinson
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claire L Price
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - Steven L Kelly
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - David C Lamb
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | | | - Helen C Poynton
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.
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2
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Ding M, Han L, Miao J, Wang X, Wang L, Pan L. Estrogen receptor knockdown suggests its role in gonadal development regulation in Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 243:106594. [PMID: 39084493 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2024.106594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
The estrogen receptor (ER), a ligand-dependent transcription factor, is critical for vertebrate reproduction. However, its role in bivalves is not well understood, with ongoing debates regarding its function in regulating reproduction similarly to vertebrates. To investigate ER's function, we conducted a 21-day RNA interference experiment focusing on its role in gonadal development in bivalves. Histological analyses revealed that ER inhibition significantly suppressed ovarian development in females and, conversely, promoted gonadal development in males. Additionally, levels of 17β-estrogen (E2) were markedly reduced in the gonads of both sexes following ER suppression. Transcriptomic analysis from RNA-seq of testes and ovaries after ER interference showed changes in the expression of key genes such as Vtg, CYP17, 3β-HSD, and 17β-HSD. These genes are involved in the estrogen signaling pathway and steroid hormone biosynthesis. Furthermore, ER suppression significantly affected the expression of genes linked to gametogenesis and the reproductive cycle. Our findings highlight ER's crucial, yet complex and sex-specific roles in gonadal development in bivalves, emphasizing the need for further detailed studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Ding
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China; Qinhuangdao Marine Environmental Monitoring Central Station of SOA, Qinhuangdao 066002, PR China
| | - Lianxue Han
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Jingjing Miao
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China.
| | - Xuening Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Lu Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Luqing Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
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3
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Fodor I, Matsubara S, Osugi T, Shiraishi A, Kawada T, Satake H, Pirger Z. Lack of membrane sex steroid receptors for mediating rapid endocrine responses in molluscan nervous systems. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1458422. [PMID: 39188914 PMCID: PMC11345136 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1458422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the lack of endogenous synthesis and relevant nuclear receptors, several papers have been published over the decades claiming that the physiology of mollusks is affected by natural and synthetic sex steroids. With scant evidence for the existence of functional steroid nuclear receptors in mollusks, some scientists have speculated that the effects of steroids might be mediated via membrane receptors (i.e. via non-genomic/non-classical actions) - a mechanism that has been well-characterized in vertebrates. However, no study has yet investigated the ligand-binding ability of such receptor candidates in mollusks. The aim of the present study was to further trace the evolution of the endocrine system by investigating the presence of functional membrane sex steroid receptors in a mollusk, the great pond snail (Lymnaea stagnalis). We detected sequences homologous to the known vertebrate membrane sex steroid receptors in the Lymnaea transcriptome and genome data: G protein-coupled estrogen receptor-1 (GPER1); membrane progestin receptors (mPRs); G protein-coupled receptor family C group 6 member A (GPRC6A); and Zrt- and Irt-like protein 9 (ZIP9). Sequence analyses, including conserved domain analysis, phylogenetics, and transmembrane domain prediction, indicated that the mPR and ZIP9 candidates appeared to be homologs, while the GPER1 and GPRC6A candidates seemed to be non-orthologous receptors. All candidates transiently transfected into HEK293MSR cells were found to be localized at the plasma membrane, confirming that they function as membrane receptors. However, the signaling assays revealed that none of the candidates interacted with the main vertebrate steroid ligands. Our findings strongly suggest that functional membrane sex steroid receptors which would be homologous to the vertebrate ones are not present in Lymnaea. Although further experiments are required on other molluscan model species as well, we propose that both classical and non-classical sex steroid signaling for endocrine responses are specific to chordates, confirming that molluscan and vertebrate endocrine systems are fundamentally different.
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Affiliation(s)
- István Fodor
- Ecophysiological and Environmental Toxicological Research Group, HUN-REN Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Tihany, Hungary
| | - Shin Matsubara
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Osugi
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akira Shiraishi
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Kawada
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Honoo Satake
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Zsolt Pirger
- Ecophysiological and Environmental Toxicological Research Group, HUN-REN Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Tihany, Hungary
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4
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Quintana DS, Glaser BD, Kang H, Kildal ESM, Audunsdottir K, Sartorius AM, Barth C. The interplay of oxytocin and sex hormones. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105765. [PMID: 38885888 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin has historically been associated with reproduction and maternal behavior. However, more recent research has uncovered that oxytocin has a much wider range of roles in physiology and behavior. Despite the excitement surrounding potential therapeutical applications of intranasally administered oxytocin, the results of these intervention studies have been inconsistent. Various reasons for these mixed results have been proposed, which tend to focus on methodological issues, such as study design. While methodological issues are certainly important, emerging evidence suggests that the interaction between oxytocin and sex hormones may also account for these varied findings. To better understand the purpose and function of the interaction of oxytocin with sex hormones, with a focus on estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone, we conducted a comprehensive thematic review via four perspectives: evolutionary, developmental, mechanistic, and survival. Altogether, this synergistic approach highlights the critical function of sex hormone activity for accomplishing the diverse roles of oxytocin via the modulation of oxytocin release and oxytocin receptor activity, which is also likely to contribute to the heterogeneity of outcomes after oxytocin administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Quintana
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NevSom, Department of Rare Disorders, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Bernt D Glaser
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Heemin Kang
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Emilie S M Kildal
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry, Lovisenberg Diakonale Sykehus, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristin Audunsdottir
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Claudia Barth
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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5
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Adamovsky O, Groh KJ, Białk-Bielińska A, Escher BI, Beaudouin R, Mora Lagares L, Tollefsen KE, Fenske M, Mulkiewicz E, Creusot N, Sosnowska A, Loureiro S, Beyer J, Repetto G, Štern A, Lopes I, Monteiro M, Zikova-Kloas A, Eleršek T, Vračko M, Zdybel S, Puzyn T, Koczur W, Ebsen Morthorst J, Holbech H, Carlsson G, Örn S, Herrero Ó, Siddique A, Liess M, Braun G, Srebny V, Žegura B, Hinfray N, Brion F, Knapen D, Vandeputte E, Stinckens E, Vergauwen L, Behrendt L, João Silva M, Blaha L, Kyriakopoulou K. Exploring BPA alternatives - Environmental levels and toxicity review. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 189:108728. [PMID: 38850672 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108728] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Bisphenol A alternatives are manufactured as potentially less harmful substitutes of bisphenol A (BPA) that offer similar functionality. These alternatives are already in the market, entering the environment and thus raising ecological concerns. However, it can be expected that levels of BPA alternatives will dominate in the future, they are limited information on their environmental safety. The EU PARC project highlights BPA alternatives as priority chemicals and consolidates information on BPA alternatives, with a focus on environmental relevance and on the identification of the research gaps. The review highlighted aspects and future perspectives. In brief, an extension of environmental monitoring is crucial, extending it to cover BPA alternatives to track their levels and facilitate the timely implementation of mitigation measures. The biological activity has been studied for BPA alternatives, but in a non-systematic way and prioritized a limited number of chemicals. For several BPA alternatives, the data has already provided substantial evidence regarding their potential harm to the environment. We stress the importance of conducting more comprehensive assessments that go beyond the traditional reproductive studies and focus on overlooked relevant endpoints. Future research should also consider mixture effects, realistic environmental concentrations, and the long-term consequences on biota and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Adamovsky
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Ksenia J Groh
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland
| | - Anna Białk-Bielińska
- Department of Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Beate I Escher
- Department of Cell Toxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - R Beaudouin
- Experimental Toxicology and Modeling Unit, INERIS, UMR-I 02 SEBIO, Verneuil en Halatte 65550, France
| | - Liadys Mora Lagares
- Theory Department, Laboratory for Cheminformatics, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Knut Erik Tollefsen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Økernveien 94, N-0579 Oslo, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Po.Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Martina Fenske
- Department of Biochemistry and Ecotoxicology, Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz, Germany
| | - Ewa Mulkiewicz
- Department of Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Nicolas Creusot
- INRAE, French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food & Environment, UR1454 EABX, Bordeaux Metabolome, MetaboHub, Gazinet Cestas, France
| | - Anita Sosnowska
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemoinformatics, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Susana Loureiro
- CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Jonny Beyer
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Økernveien 94, N-0579 Oslo, Norway
| | - Guillermo Repetto
- Area of Toxicology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013-Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alja Štern
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Večna pot 121, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Isabel Lopes
- CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Marta Monteiro
- CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Andrea Zikova-Kloas
- Testing and Assessment Strategies Pesticides, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany; Ecotoxicological Laboratory, German Environment Agency, Schichauweg 58, 12307 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tina Eleršek
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Večna pot 121, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marjan Vračko
- Theory Department, Laboratory for Cheminformatics, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Szymon Zdybel
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemoinformatics, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Tomasz Puzyn
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemoinformatics, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Weronika Koczur
- Department of Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jane Ebsen Morthorst
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Henrik Holbech
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Gunnar Carlsson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefan Örn
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Óscar Herrero
- Molecular Entomology, Biomarkers and Environmental Stress Group, Faculty of Science, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), 28232 Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain
| | - Ayesha Siddique
- System Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Liess
- System Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Georg Braun
- Department of Cell Toxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Vanessa Srebny
- Department of Cell Toxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bojana Žegura
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Večna pot 121, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nathalie Hinfray
- Ecotoxicology of Substances and Environments, Ineris, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - François Brion
- Ecotoxicology of Substances and Environments, Ineris, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Dries Knapen
- Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Ellen Vandeputte
- Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Evelyn Stinckens
- Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Lucia Vergauwen
- Zebrafishlab, Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Lars Behrendt
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Organismal Biology, Program of Environmental Toxicology, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maria João Silva
- Department of Human Genetics, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), Lisbon, Portugal; Center for Toxicogenomics and Human Health (ToxOmics), NOVA Medical School-FCM, UNL, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ludek Blaha
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Katerina Kyriakopoulou
- Laboratory of Environmental Control of Pesticides, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8th Stefanou Delta str., 14561, Kifissia, Attica, Greece.
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6
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Li YF, Lin YT, Wang YQ, Ni JY, Power DM. Ioxynil and diethylstilbestrol impair cardiac performance and shell growth in the mussel Mytilus coruscus. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:166834. [PMID: 37717744 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166834] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
The herbicide ioxynil (IOX) and the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) are environmentally relevant contaminants that act as endocrine disruptors (EDCs) and have recently been shown to be cardiovascular disruptors in vertebrates. Mussels, Mytilus coruscus, were exposed to low doses of IOX (0.37, 0.037 and 0.0037 mg/L) and DES (0.27, 0.027 and 0.0027 mg/L) via the water and the effect monitored by generating whole animal transcriptomes and measuring cardiac performance and shell growth. One day after IOX (0.37 and 0.037 mg/L) and DES (0.27 and 0.027 mg/L) exposure heart rate frequency was decreased in both groups and 0.27 mg/L DES significantly reduced heart rate frequency with increasing time of exposure (P < 0.05) and no acclimatization occurred. The functional effects were coupled to significant differential expression of genes of the serotonergic synapse pathway and cardiac-related genes at 0.027 mg/L DES, which suggests that impaired heart function may be due to interference with neuroendocrine regulation and direct cardiac effect genes. Multiple genes related to detoxifying xenobiotic substances were up regulated and genes related to immune function were down regulated in the DES group (vs. control), indicating that detoxification processes were enhanced, and the immune response was depressed. In contrast, IOX had a minor disrupting effect at a molecular level. Of note was a significant suppression (P < 0.05) by DES of shell growth in juveniles and lower doses (< 0.0027 mg/L) had a more severe effect. The shell growth depression in 0.0027 mg/L DES-treated juveniles was not accompanied by abundant differential gene expression, suggesting that the effect of 0.0027 mg/L DES on shell growth may be direct. The results obtained in the present study reveal for the first time that IOX and DES may act as neuroendocrine disrupters with a broad spectrum of effects on cardiac performance and shell growth, and that DES exposure had a much more pronounced effect than IOX in a marine bivalve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Feng Li
- International Research Centre for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China; Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
| | - Yue-Tong Lin
- International Research Centre for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Qing Wang
- International Research Centre for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ji-Yue Ni
- International Research Centre for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Deborah M Power
- International Research Centre for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China; Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
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7
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Miziak P, Baran M, Błaszczak E, Przybyszewska-Podstawka A, Kałafut J, Smok-Kalwat J, Dmoszyńska-Graniczka M, Kiełbus M, Stepulak A. Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4689. [PMID: 37835383 PMCID: PMC10572081 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptor (ER) signaling is a critical regulator of cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival in breast cancer (BC) and other hormone-sensitive cancers. In this review, we explore the mechanism of ER-dependent downstream signaling in BC and the role of estrogens as growth factors necessary for cancer invasion and dissemination. The significance of the clinical implications of ER signaling in BC, including the potential of endocrine therapies that target estrogens' synthesis and ER-dependent signal transmission, such as aromatase inhibitors or selective estrogen receptor modulators, is discussed. As a consequence, the challenges associated with the resistance to these therapies resulting from acquired ER mutations and potential strategies to overcome them are the critical point for the new treatment strategies' development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Miziak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.B.); (E.B.); (A.P.-P.); (J.K.); (M.D.-G.)
| | - Marzena Baran
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.B.); (E.B.); (A.P.-P.); (J.K.); (M.D.-G.)
| | - Ewa Błaszczak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.B.); (E.B.); (A.P.-P.); (J.K.); (M.D.-G.)
| | - Alicja Przybyszewska-Podstawka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.B.); (E.B.); (A.P.-P.); (J.K.); (M.D.-G.)
| | - Joanna Kałafut
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.B.); (E.B.); (A.P.-P.); (J.K.); (M.D.-G.)
| | - Jolanta Smok-Kalwat
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Holy Cross Cancer Centre, 3 Artwinskiego Street, 25-734 Kielce, Poland;
| | - Magdalena Dmoszyńska-Graniczka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.B.); (E.B.); (A.P.-P.); (J.K.); (M.D.-G.)
| | - Michał Kiełbus
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.B.); (E.B.); (A.P.-P.); (J.K.); (M.D.-G.)
| | - Andrzej Stepulak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.B.); (E.B.); (A.P.-P.); (J.K.); (M.D.-G.)
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8
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Liu L, Miao J, Liu P, Zhao A, Yao L, Pan L. Comparison and quantification of estrogen receptor-mediated responsiveness to endocrine disruptors in bivalves by using complementary model and a novel yeast assay approach. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 323:121208. [PMID: 36738881 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121208] [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: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in estuaries and coastal habitats have been widely detected over the world and caused global concern. Bivalves have been shown to be vulnerable to endocrine disruption. However, estrogen receptors (ERs) sensitivity to steroids and EDCs has long been considered to be restricted to vertebrates. In the present study, a computational simulation docking model was applied to qualitatively predict the binding behavior of two bivalve ERs to estradiol and compared the docking activity with zebra fish ERa. A novel reconstituted yeast system was constructed by using transcriptional activator GAL-4 consists of ER-expressing plasmid and ERE (estrogen responsive element)-containing plasmid. The assays showed that bivalve ER specifically activate transcription in response to tested steroids and EDCs, but the activation ability is weaker compared to zebra fish ERa. The results corroborate the presence of an active ER in bivalve molluscs and provide a promising tool for screening of marine environmental pollutants active in disturbing ERs of bivalves, as well as understanding the underlying mechanism across taxonomic groups and phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liru Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, PR China
| | - Jingjing Miao
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, PR China.
| | - Peipei Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, PR China
| | - Anran Zhao
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, PR China
| | - Linlin Yao
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, PR China
| | - Luqing Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, PR China
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9
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Gu W, Thitiphuree T, Otoki Y, Marquez EC, Kitano T, Itoh N, Nagasawa K, Osada M. Expression and functional analyses for estrogen receptor and estrogen related receptor of Yesso scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2023; 231:106302. [PMID: 36990165 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2023.106302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Estrogen receptors (ERs) were known as estrogen-activated transcription factors and function as major reproduction regulators in vertebrates. The presence of er genes had been reported in Molluscan cephalopods and gastropods. However, they were considered as constitutive activators with unknown biological functions since reporter assays for these ERs did not show a specific response to estrogens. In this study, we tried characterization of ER orthologues from the Yesso scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis, in which estrogens had been proven to be produced in the gonads and involved in the spermatogenesis and vitellogenesis. Identified ER and estrogen related receptor (ERR) of Yesso scallops, designated as py-ER and py-ERR, conserved specific domain structures for a nuclear receptor. Their DNA binding domains showed high similarities to those of vertebrate ER orthologues, while ligand binding domains had low similarities with them. Both the py-er and py-err expression levels decreased in the ovary at the mature stage while py-vitellogenin expression increased in the ovary by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Also, the py-er and py-err showed higher expressions in the testis than ovary during the developing and mature period, suggesting both genes might function in the spermatogenesis and testis development. The py-ER showed binding affinities to vertebrate estradiol-17β (E2). However, the intensity was weaker than the vertebrate ER, indicating scallops might exist endogenous estrogens with a different structure. On the other hand, the binding property of py-ERR to E2 was not confirmed in this assay, speculating that py-ERR was a constitutive activator as other vertebrate ERRs. Further, the py-er was localized in the spermatogonia in the testis and in the auxiliary cells in the ovary by in situ hybridization, indicating its potential roles in promoting spermatogenesis and vitellogenesis. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that py-ER was an authentic E2 receptor in the Yesso scallop and might have functions for the spermatogonia proliferation and vitellogenesis, while py-ERR was involved in the reproduction by undiscovered manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Gu
- Laboratory of Aquaculture Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 468-1Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-0845, Japan
| | - Tongchai Thitiphuree
- Laboratory of Aquaculture Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 468-1Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-0845, Japan
| | - Yurika Otoki
- Laboratory of Aquaculture Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 468-1Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-0845, Japan
| | - Emily C Marquez
- Pesticide Action Network of North America, 1611 Telegraph Ave, Suite 1200, Oakland, CA 94612, USA
| | - Takeshi Kitano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-8555, Japan
| | - Naoki Itoh
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Kazue Nagasawa
- Laboratory of Aquaculture Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 468-1Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-0845, Japan
| | - Makoto Osada
- Laboratory of Aquaculture Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 468-1Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-0845, Japan.
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10
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Fodor I, Pirger Z. From Dark to Light - An Overview of Over 70 Years of Endocrine Disruption Research on Marine Mollusks. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:903575. [PMID: 35872980 PMCID: PMC9301197 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.903575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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11
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From Extrapolation to Precision Chemical Hazard Assessment: The Ecdysone Receptor Case Study. TOXICS 2021; 10:toxics10010006. [PMID: 35051048 PMCID: PMC8778615 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
Hazard assessment strategies are often supported by extrapolation of damage probabilities, regarding chemical action and species susceptibilities. Yet, growing evidence suggests that an adequate sampling of physiological responses across a representative taxonomic scope is of paramount importance. This is particularly relevant for Nuclear Receptors (NR), a family of transcription factors, often triggered by ligands and thus, commonly exploited by environmental chemicals. Within NRs, the ligand-induced Ecdysone Receptor (EcR) provides a remarkable example. Long regarded as arthropod specific, this receptor has been extensively targeted by pesticides, seemingly innocuous to non-target organisms. Yet, current evidence clearly suggests a wider presence of EcR orthologues across metazoan lineages, with unknown physiological consequences. Here, we address the state-of-the-art regarding the phylogenetic distribution and functional characterization of metazoan EcRs and provide a critical analysis of the potential disruption of such EcRs by environmental chemical exposure. Using EcR as a case study, hazard assessment strategies are also discussed in view of the development of a novel "precision hazard assessment paradigm.
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12
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Chancellor S, Abbo L, Grasse B, Sakmar T, Brown JS, Scheel D, Santymire RM. Determining the effectiveness of using dermal swabs to evaluate the stress physiology of laboratory cephalopods: A preliminary investigation. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 314:113903. [PMID: 34529999 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
To better comprehend the physiology of cephalopods, we used a minimal invasive technique of skin mucus swabs to measure immunoreactive corticosteroids in three cephalopod species commonly kept in captivity and promoted as new model organisms: Euprymna berryi, Sepia bandensis, and Octopus chierchiae. We compared results between sexes and age classes and then evaluated their stress responses during acclimation to a new habitat. To better understand glucocorticoid production, we conducted an adrenocorticotropic hormone, using Cosyntropin (an adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) analogue) challenge with a saline control and swabbed their mantles at 15-minute intervals for 2 h. Results showed cortisol was higher for younger individuals. Additionally, cortisol and corticosterone concentrations decreased by 2-fold after 2 to 4 days of acclimation to a new habitat. We were able to successfully measure 2-fold increase in immunoreactive corticosteroids which reacted with cortisol and corticosterone assays for all the species following ACTH injection, although not all individuals responded similarly. With further investigation, this technique can increase our understanding and management of cephalopods in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Chancellor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA.
| | - Lisa Abbo
- Marine Biological Laboratory, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Joel S Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA; Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Florida, USA
| | - David Scheel
- Institute of Culture and the Environment, Alaska Pacific University, Alaska, USA
| | - Rachel M Santymire
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA; Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Illinois, USA
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13
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Wang Y, Wang HS. Bisphenol A affects the pulse rate of Lumbriculus variegatus via an estrogenic mechanism. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2021; 248:109105. [PMID: 34119654 PMCID: PMC8373826 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2021.109105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Invertebrates are recognized as important species in endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) testing. However, it is poorly understood whether the effects of EDCs in invertebrates are mediated by hormonal mechanisms. Previously, we showed that bisphenol A (BPA) affected the physiology of the freshwater oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus. In the present study, we examined the mechanism of the impact of BPA on L. variegatus, using pulse rate of the dorsal blood vessel (DBV) as an endpoint. Both long term and acute exposures to BPA increased the pulsing rate of DBV. The former had a distinct inverted-U dose response relationship with a most efficacious dose of 10-9 M, which increased the pulse rate from 8.97 to 10.9 beats/min. The effects of BPA were mimicked by the synthetic estrogen ethinylestradiol with a most efficacious dose of 10-12 M. Interestingly E2 had no effect on pulsing rate, either acute or long term. The sensitivity of L. variegatus to estrogens were exquisite, with detectable effects at 10-14 to 10-10 M range. Both the long term and acute effects of BPA were partially or fully blocked by various vertebrate estrogen receptor (ER) antagonists, including ICI 182,780, MPP and G15. Our results suggest that the impact of BPA on pulsing rate of L. variegatus is likely mediated by an estrogenic mechanism instead of general toxicity. The exceptionally high sensitivity of L. variegatus to some estrogens makes it a possible tool for estrogenic EDC screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyang Wang
- Hefei No. 8 High School, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hong-Sheng Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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14
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Wang F, Cai W, Shi W, Wu H, Shen Q, He Y, Cui S, An L. Single molecule real-time sequencing revealing novel insights on the response to estrogen and androgen exposure in freshwater snails. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 239:105953. [PMID: 34521059 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105953] [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: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The molecular mode of action underpinning the response of mollusks exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) remains unclear due to a lack of available information regarding their genome. Single molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing makes it possible to reveal molecular mechanisms by direct sequencing of full-length transcripts. In the present study, the transcriptome profile of the freshwater snail Parafossarulus striatulus after exposure to 17β-estradiol (E2) or 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) was evaluated using SMRT sequencing strategy. In total, 216,598 non-redundant and full-length gene isoforms were generated and 106,266 isoforms were predicted with a complete open reading frame (ORF). Moreover, 60.36% of the isoforms were matched to known proteins in at least one of six databases. Differential gene expression analyses showed significantly different patterns in paired samples with different treatments. The expression levels of several membrane receptor isoforms of P. striatulus including dopamine receptor (DR), FMRFamide receptor (FMRFaR), neuropeptide Y receptor (NYR) and neuropeptide FF receptor (NFFR), but not estrogen receptor (ER) or estrogen-related receptor (ERR), were significantly affected by E2 and MT. These findings suggest that activation of membrane receptors, as well as other signaling pathways, might be critical for mediating the effects of endocrine disruption in mollusks. The transcriptome information obtained from the SMRT sequencing provides a significant contribution to the investigation of the molecular mode of action of endocrine disrupting chemicals on P. striatulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Wenqian Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Wenzhuo Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Haiwen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Qian Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Yanan He
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Song Cui
- School of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Lihui An
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
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15
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Fodor I, Koene JM, Pirger Z. Neuronal Transcriptome Analysis of a Widely Recognised Molluscan Model Organism Highlights the Absence of Key Proteins Involved in the De Novo Synthesis and Receptor-Mediation of Sex Steroids in Vertebrates. MALACOLOGIA 2021. [DOI: 10.4002/040.064.0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- István Fodor
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3., H-8237 Tihany, Hungary
| | - Joris M. Koene
- Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Zsolt Pirger
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3., H-8237 Tihany, Hungary
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16
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Fodor I, Urbán P, Scott AP, Pirger Z. A critical evaluation of some of the recent so-called 'evidence' for the involvement of vertebrate-type sex steroids in the reproduction of mollusks. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 516:110949. [PMID: 32687858 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Many studies on the control of reproduction in mollusks have focused on hormones (and proteins associated with the production and signaling of those hormones) which were originally discovered in humans, in the belief that if they are also present in mollusks, they must have the same role. However, although human sex steroids can be found in mollusks, they are so readily absorbed that their presence is not necessarily evidence of endogenous synthesis. A homolog of the vertebrate nuclear estrogen receptor has been found in mollusks, but it does not bind to estrogens or indeed to any steroid at all. Antibodies against human aromatase show positive immunostaining in mollusks, yet the aromatase gene has not been found in the genome of any invertebrates (let alone mollusks). This review will deal with these and other examples of contradictory evidence for a role of human hormones in invertebrate reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- István Fodor
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, 8237, Tihany, Hungary.
| | - Péter Urbán
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Facilities, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Alexander P Scott
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research (Cefas), Barrack Road, Weymouth, DT4 8UB, UK
| | - Zsolt Pirger
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, 8237, Tihany, Hungary
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17
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Ibrahim G. Fine structure of the central brain in the octopod Eledone cirrhosa (Lamarck, 1798) (Mollusca-Octopoda). INVERTEBRATE NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 20:15. [PMID: 32840703 DOI: 10.1007/s10158-020-00250-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the fine structure of the different cell types in the central brain of Eledone cirrhosa; the organelles in the neurons and the glial cells; the glial hemolymph-brain barrier; the neuro-secretions and the relationships between glial and nerve cells. The brain is surrounded by a non-cellular neurilemma followed by a single layer of perilemmal cells. Ependymal cells, highly prismatic glial cells, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and epithelial processes were observed. The perikarya of the neurons are filled with slightly oval nuclei with heterochromatin, a strongly tortuous ER, numerous mitochondria and Golgi apparatus with two types of vesicles. In the cellular cortex, glial cells are much less numerous than the neurons and they are located preferably at the border between perikarya and neuropil. Furthermore, they send many branching shoots between the surrounding neuron perikarya and the axons. The glial cytoplasmic matrix appears more electrodense than that of the neurons. Only few ribosomes are attached to the membranes of the ER; the vast majorities are free. In the perikarya of the glial cells, mitochondria, multi-vesicular bodies, various vacuoles and vesicles are present. The essential elements of the hemolymph-brain barrier are the endothelial cells with their tight junctions. The cytoplasm contains various vesicles and mitochondria. However, two other cell types are present, the pericytes and the astrocytes, which are of great importance for the function of the hemolymph-brain barrier. The cell-cell interactions between endothelial cells, pericytes and astrocytes are as close as no other cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Ibrahim
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21547, Egypt.
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18
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Bazarini SN, Crook RJ. Environmental estrogen exposure disrupts sensory processing and nociceptive plasticity in the cephalopod Euprymna scolopes. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb218008. [PMID: 32487666 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.218008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous estrogens affect multiple sensory systems, including those involved in processing noxious and painful stimuli. Extensive evidence demonstrates that estrogenic environmental pollutants have profound, negative effects on growth and reproductive physiology, but there is limited information about how estrogenic pollutants might affect sensory systems known to be modulated by endogenous estrogens. Here, we show that ethinyl estradiol, the most common artificial estrogen found in coastal marine environments, disrupts normal behavioral and neural responses to tissue injury in the sepiolid Euprymna scolopes (Hawaiian bobtail squid), which inhabits shallow tropical waters close to dense human habitation. Behavioral hypersensitivity and neural plasticity that occur normally after tissue injury were impaired both under chronic estrogen exposure beginning during embryogenesis and after a single, high dose co-incident with injury. This suggests that these naturally selected responses to injury, which function to protect animals from predation and infection risk, may be impaired by anthropogenic pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie N Bazarini
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Robyn J Crook
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
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19
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Fernández-González LE, Diz AP, Gloria Grueiro N, Muniategui-Lorenzo S, Beiras R, Sánchez-Marín P. No evidence that vitellogenin protein expression is induced in marine mussels after exposure to an estrogenic chemical. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 721:137638. [PMID: 32169639 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A wide variety of endocrine disrupting chemicals reach the marine environment and can cause harmful effects in different marine organisms. Vitellogenin (Vtg), the egg-yolk precursor, is a commonly used endocrine disruption biomarker in fish and more recently in marine invertebrates under the assumption of high expected similarities in the endocrine system of vertebrates and invertebrates. However, this assumption has been recently questioned. The results from previous studies focused on bivalve molluscs showed that Vtg induction could be misleading because of the use of either non-robust or indirect techniques to measure Vtg. In this study, mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were exposed to either 10 or 100 ng/L of the synthetic hormone 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) at different exposure times (4 and 24 days) and under different feeding regimes (representing different energy balances), and Vtg levels in both male and female mussel gonads were quantified by label free shotgun LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis. Vtg protein was not detected in male gonads. In female gonads, Vtg levels were not significantly affected by EE2 at any exposure time or EE2 concentration tested, whereas a significant correlation was found between the degree of maturation of the gonad and Vtg levels in females. Results obtained in the present study critically question the use of Vtg as a biomarker of endocrine disruption in marine mussels, and show that the degree of maturation of the gonad can be an important confounding factor in the attempts to evaluate estrogenic effects through Vtg measurement in mussel gonads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Emilia Fernández-González
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Animal, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Galicia, Spain; Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de Vigo (CIM-UVIGO), Isla de Toralla, Vigo, Galicia, Spain; Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Galicia, Spain
| | - Angel P Diz
- Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de Vigo (CIM-UVIGO), Isla de Toralla, Vigo, Galicia, Spain; Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Galicia, Spain
| | - Noche Gloria Grueiro
- Grupo Química Analítica Aplicada, Instituto Universitario de Medio Ambiente (IUMA), Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de A Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Galicia, Spain
| | - Soledad Muniategui-Lorenzo
- Grupo Química Analítica Aplicada, Instituto Universitario de Medio Ambiente (IUMA), Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de A Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Galicia, Spain
| | - Ricardo Beiras
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Animal, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Galicia, Spain; Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de Vigo (CIM-UVIGO), Isla de Toralla, Vigo, Galicia, Spain
| | - Paula Sánchez-Marín
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Animal, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Galicia, Spain; Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, 36390 Vigo, Galicia, Spain.
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20
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Cuvillier-Hot V, Lenoir A. Invertebrates facing environmental contamination by endocrine disruptors: Novel evidences and recent insights. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 504:110712. [PMID: 31962147 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The crisis of biodiversity we currently experience raises the question of the impact of anthropogenic chemicals on wild life health. Endocrine disruptors are notably incriminated because of their possible effects on development and reproduction, including at very low doses. As commonly recorded in the field, the burden they impose on wild species also concerns invertebrates, with possible specificities linked with the specific physiology of these animals. A better understanding of chemically-mediated endocrine disruption in these species has clearly gained from knowledge accumulated on vertebrate models. But the molecular pathways specific to invertebrates also need to be reckoned, which implies dedicated research efforts to decipher their basic functioning in order to be able to assess its possible disruption. The recent rising of omics technologies opens the way to an intensification of these efforts on both aspects, even in species almost uninvestigated so far.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alain Lenoir
- IRBI, Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR CNRS, Faculté des Sciences, Parc de Grandmont, Université de Tours, Tours, France
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21
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Amenyogbe E, Chen G, Wang Z, Lu X, Lin M, Lin AY. A Review on Sex Steroid Hormone Estrogen Receptors in Mammals and Fish. Int J Endocrinol 2020; 2020:5386193. [PMID: 32089683 PMCID: PMC7029290 DOI: 10.1155/2020/5386193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroid hormones play essential roles in the reproductive biology of vertebrates. Estrogen exercises its effect through estrogen receptors and is not only a female reproductive hormone but acts virtually in all vertebrates, including fish, and is involved in the physiological and pathological states in all males and females. Estrogen has been implicated in mandible conservation and circulatory and central nervous systems as well as the reproductive system. This review intended to understand the structure, function, binding affinities, and activations of estrogens and estrogen receptors and to discuss the understanding of the role of sex steroid hormone estrogen receptors in mammals and fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Amenyogbe
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in the South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Laboratory of Fish Aquaculture, Zhanjiang 524025, China
| | - Gang Chen
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in the South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Laboratory of Fish Aquaculture, Zhanjiang 524025, China
| | - Zhongliang Wang
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in the South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Laboratory of Fish Aquaculture, Zhanjiang 524025, China
| | - Xiaoying Lu
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in the South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Laboratory of Fish Aquaculture, Zhanjiang 524025, China
| | - Mingde Lin
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in the South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Laboratory of Fish Aquaculture, Zhanjiang 524025, China
| | - Ai Ying Lin
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in the South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Laboratory of Fish Aquaculture, Zhanjiang 524025, China
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Nuurai P, Wanichanon C, Wanichanon R. Effect of gonadotropin releasing hormone on the expression of luteinizing hormone and estrogen in the nerve ganglia and ovary of a tropical abalone, Haliotis asinina Linnaeus. Acta Histochem 2020; 122:151454. [PMID: 31606271 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2019.151454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) is a peptide brain hormone that is involved in the regulation of reproduction in vertebrates via stimulation of the secretion of the pituitary hormones, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which in their turn stimulate sexual development and sex steroid hormone secretion by the gonads. The tropical abalone, Haliotis asinina, in common with many other invertebrates contains a peptide with a similar structure to GnRH. This study looks at its possible involvement in reproduction by injecting groups of one-year-old female abalone at the mature phase by injecting them with synthetic H. asinina (Has) GnRH at doses of 0, 250 and 500 ng/g and then measuring the amount of material in nerve ganglia, ovary and hemolymph that cross-reacted with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for vertebrate LH and steroid, estradiol. Immunohistochemistry, using antibodies for the same two compounds, was also carried out to examine the location of immunoactivity in the tissues of the animals. There were slight (in some cases statistically significant) increases in LH-immunoactivity and estradiol in the hemolymph and tissues. However, this applied to the lower dose only (i.e the dose-response relationship was non-monotonic). Using immunohistochemistry, LH-immunoreactive cells were observed in types 1 and 2 neurosecretory (NS1 and NS2) cells within the cerebral and pleuropedal ganglia of H. asinina. In addition, LH-immunoreactive nerve fiber bundles were strongly detected in both ganglia. The immunoactivity against the estrogen appeared to be localized in the granulated cells within the connective tissue and trabeculae of the mature ovary. There was no positive staining in the cytoplasm of any stage of the germ cells. The interpretation of these findings is presently hindered by the fact that the homologous gene for vertebrate LH has not yet been identified in the genomes of any mollusks (so the cause of the immunostaining is as yet unknown) and also by the fact that mollusks are known to readily absorb steroids from the environment and store them long-term in the form of fatty acid esters. More work, involving identification of the protein that cross-reacts with the LH antiserum and also exclusion of the possibility that the estradiol is of exogenous origin, will have to be carried out before these findings can be used to manipulate reproduction in this species.
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Balbi T, Ciacci C, Canesi L. Estrogenic compounds as exogenous modulators of physiological functions in molluscs: Signaling pathways and biological responses. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2019; 222:135-144. [PMID: 31055067 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Molluscs have been widely utilized to evaluate the effects of estrogenic compounds, one of the most widespread classes of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals-EDCs. However, knowledge on steroid signaling and metabolism in molluscs has considerably increased in the last decade: from these studies, a considerable debate emerged on the role of 'natural' steroids in physiology, in particular in reproduction, of this invertebrate group. In this work, available information on the effects and mechanisms of action of estrogens in molluscs will be reviewed, with particular emphasis on bivalves that, widespread in aquatic ecosystems, are most likely affected by exposure to estrogenic EDCs. Recent advances in steroid uptake and metabolism, and estrogen receptors-ERs in molluscs, as well as in estrogen signaling in vertebrates, will be considered. The results so far obtained with 17β-estradiol and different estrogenic compounds in the model bivalve Mytilus spp., demonstrate specific effects on immune function, development and metabolism. Transcriptomic data reveal non genomic estrogen signaling pathways in mussel tissues that are supported by new observations at the cellular level. In vitro and in vivo data show, through independent lines of evidence, that estrogens act through non-genomic signaling pathways in bivalves. In this light, regardless of whether molluscs synthesize estrogens de novo or not, and despite their ERs are not directly activated by ligand binding, estrogens can interact with multiple signaling components, leading to modulation of different physiological functions. Increasing knowledge in endocrine physiology of molluscs will provide a framework for a better evaluation and interpretation of data on the impact of estrogenic EDCs in this invertebrate group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Balbi
- Dept. of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Caterina Ciacci
- Dept. of Biomolecular Sciences (DIBS), University 'Carlo Bo' of Urbino, Urbino, Italy
| | - Laura Canesi
- Dept. of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
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24
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Agnese M, Rosati L, Prisco M, Borzacchiello L, Abagnale L, Andreuccetti P. The expression of estrogen receptors during the Mytilus galloprovincialis ovarian cycle. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2019; 331:367-373. [PMID: 31145556 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to assess, by real-time polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization, the expression of estrogen receptors ER1 and ER2 during the ovarian cycle of Mytilus galloprovincialis. By considering four phases of the reproductive cycle, that is stasis and previtellogenic stage (Stage 0), early vitellogenesis (Stage I), vitellogenesis (Stage II), full-grown oocyte (Stage III), our investigation demonstrates that the two receptors are differently expressed during the phases investigated of the ovarian cycle: ER1 reaches the highest level at Stage III, whereas ER2 reaches the highest level at Stage II, with ER2 always present at higher levels than ER1. The stage-dependent receptor expression was recorded within oocytes, follicle cells, and adipogranular cells. No ER1 and ER2 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were found within vesicular cells. It is to be noted that the ER1 and ER2 expression within the growing oocytes, the follicular, and adipogranular cells overlaps with that of the mRNA for vitellogenin in the same cells, strongly suggesting that in Mytilus, as in vertebrates studied so far, the vitellogenin expression is under the control of estrogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Agnese
- Department of Biology, Federico II Naples University, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Rosati
- Department of Biology, Federico II Naples University, Naples, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Marina Prisco
- Department of Biology, Federico II Naples University, Naples, Italy
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25
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Hallmann A, Konieczna L, Swiezak J, Milczarek R, Smolarz K. Aromatisation of steroids in the bivalve Mytilus trossulus. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6953. [PMID: 31198629 PMCID: PMC6535040 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we demonstrated the presence of the enzymatic complex able to perform aromatization (estrogen synthesis) in both, the microsomal and mitochondrial fractions of gills and gonads from Mytilus trossulus. Based on in vitro experiments, we highlighted the importance of temperature as the limiting factor of aromatisation efficiency (AE) in mussels. After testing range of temperatures (4–23 °C), the highest AE was found during incubation at 8 °C and pH 7.6 (41.66 pmol/h/mg protein in gills and 58.37 pmol/h/mg protein in gonads). The results were confirmed during field studies where the most efficient aromatisation occurred in bivalves collected in spring while the least effective in those collected in winter. During in vitro studies, AE turned out to be more intensive in female gonads than in male gonads. The process was also more intensive in mitochondrial fraction than in microsomal one (62.97 pmol/h/mg protein in male gills and 73.94 pmol/h/mg protein in female gonads). Enzymatic complex (aromatase-like enzyme) catalysing aromatisation in mussels was found to be insensitive to inhibitory effect of selective inhibitors of mammalian aromatase such as letrozole and anastrazole, suggesting its different structure from vertebrate aromatase. Further in vivo studies using 13C-labeled steroids at 8 °C temperature window confirmed that bivalves are able to uptake testosterone and androstenedione from the ambient environment and metabolise them to estrone and 17β-estradiol thus confirming endogenous estrogen’ synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Hallmann
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Lucyna Konieczna
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Justyna Swiezak
- Department of Marine Ecosystem Functioning, University of Gdańsk, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Ryszard Milczarek
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Smolarz
- Department of Marine Ecosystem Functioning, University of Gdańsk, Gdynia, Poland
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26
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Tran TKA, Yu RMK, Islam R, Nguyen THT, Bui TLH, Kong RYC, O'Connor WA, Leusch FDL, Andrew-Priestley M, MacFarlane GR. The utility of vitellogenin as a biomarker of estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals in molluscs. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 248:1067-1078. [PMID: 31091639 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.02.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are natural hormones, synthetic compounds or industrial chemicals that mimic estrogens due to their structural similarity with estrogen's functional moieties. They typically enter aquatic environments through wastewater treatment plant effluents or runoff from intensive livestock operations. Globally, most natural and synthetic estrogens in receiving aquatic environments are in the low ng/L range, while industrial chemicals (such as bisphenol A, nonylphenol and octylphenol) are present in the μg to low mg/L range. These environmental concentrations often exceed laboratory-based predicted no effect concentrations (PNECs) and have been evidenced to cause negative reproductive impacts on resident aquatic biota. In vertebrates, such as fish, a well-established indicator of estrogen-mediated endocrine disruption is overexpression of the egg yolk protein precursor vitellogenin (Vtg) in males. Although the vertebrate Vtg has high sensitivity and specificity to estrogens, and the molecular basis of its estrogen inducibility has been well studied, there is growing ethical concern over the use of vertebrate animals for contaminant monitoring. The potential utility of the invertebrate Vtg as a biomonitor for environmental estrogens has therefore gained increasing attention. Here we review evidence providing support that the molluscan Vtg holds promise as an invertebrate biomarker for exposure to estrogens. Unlike vertebrates, estrogen signalling in invertebrates remains largely unclarified and the classical genomic pathway only partially explains estrogen-mediated activation of Vtg. In light of this, in the latter part of this review, we summarise recent progress towards understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the activation of the molluscan Vtg gene by estrogens and present a hypothetical model of the interplay between genomic and non-genomic pathways in the transcriptional regulation of the gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Kim Anh Tran
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia; Institute for Agriculture and Resources, Vinh University, Viet Nam
| | - Richard Man Kit Yu
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Rafiquel Islam
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia; Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia, 7003, Bangladesh
| | - Thi Hong Tham Nguyen
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia; Institute for Agriculture and Resources, Vinh University, Viet Nam
| | - Thi Lien Ha Bui
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia; Division of Experimental Biology, Research Institute for Aquaculture No 2, Viet Nam
| | - Richard Yuen Chong Kong
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Wayne A O'Connor
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Taylors Beach, NSW, 2316, Australia
| | - Frederic D L Leusch
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | | | - Geoff R MacFarlane
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
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27
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Ma F, Han X, An L, Lei K, Qi H, LeBlanc GA. Freshwater snail Parafossarulus striatulus estrogen receptor: Characteristics and expression profiles under lab and field exposure. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 220:611-619. [PMID: 30597369 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.12.176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The modes of action by which putative endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) elicit toxicity in mollusks remains unclear due to our limited understanding of the molluscan endocrine system. We identified and partially characterised the estrogen receptor (ER) of the mollusk Parafossarulus striatulus. The full-length cDNA of the ER of P. striatulus (psER) was isolated and found to have an ORF of 1386 bp which corresponded to 461 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that psER is an orthologue of ER of other mollusks. Moreover, the DNA-binding domain, ligand-binding domain, P-box, D-box, and AF2 domain were also identified in psER. Exposure of females and males to 17β-estradiol (E2, 100 ng/L) for 24 h and 72 h did not alter psER transcription, but exposure to 17α-methyltestosterone (MT, 100 μg/L) for 72 h significantly decreased ER transcription in females only (p < 0.05). psER transcription was surveyed in males and females seeded in different regions in Taihu Lake, China. psER transcription were elevated among females and males maintained at site ML. This elevation was statistically significant (p < 0.05) among male snails as compared to snails held at the more pristine site of SZ. This was different to the results from lab, implying that some unknown chemicals or other environmental factors in field could affect psER transcription level in snails. Furthermore, females and males held at site ML also exhibited a significant elevation in vitellogenin transcription as compared to snails held at site SZ, suggesting that vitellogenin production may be directly regulated by psER or co-regulated with psER in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fujun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Xuemei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Lihui An
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
| | - Kun Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
| | - Hongli Qi
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Aqua-Ecology and Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, 300384, China
| | - Gerald A LeBlanc
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
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28
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André A, Ruivo R, Fonseca E, Froufe E, Castro LFC, Santos MM. The retinoic acid receptor (RAR) in molluscs: Function, evolution and endocrine disruption insights. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2019; 208:80-89. [PMID: 30639747 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Retinoid acid receptor (RAR)-dependent signalling pathways are essential for the regulation and maintenance of essential biological functions and are recognized targets of disruptive anthropogenic compounds. Recent studies put forward the inability of mollusc RARs to bind and respond to the canonical vertebrate ligand, retinoic acid: a feature that seems to have been lost during evolution. Yet, these studies were carried out in a limited number of molluscs. Therefore, using an in vitro transactivation assay, the present work aimed to characterize phylogenetically relevant mollusc RARs, as monomers or as functional units with RXR, not only in the presence of vertebrate bone fine ligands but also known endocrine disruptors, described to modulate retinoid-dependent pathways. In general, none of the tested mollusc RARs were able to activate reporter gene transcription when exposed to retinoic acid isomers, suggesting that the ability to respond to retinoic acid was lost across molluscs. Similarly, the analysed mollusc RAR were unresponsive towards organochloride pesticides. In contrast, transcriptional repressions were observed with the RAR/RXR unit upon exposure to retinoids or RXR-specific ligands. Loss-of-function and gain-of-function mutations further corroborate the obtained results and suggest that the repressive behaviour, observed with mollusc and human RAR/RXR heterodimers, is possibly mediated by ligand biding to RXR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana André
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal; ICBAS - Institute of biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Raquel Ruivo
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal.
| | - Elza Fonseca
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Elsa Froufe
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - L Filipe C Castro
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Miguel M Santos
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.
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29
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Lathe R, Houston DR. Fatty-acylation target sequence in the ligand-binding domain of vertebrate steroid receptors demarcates evolution from estrogen-related receptors. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2018; 184:20-28. [PMID: 30026064 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Present-day nuclear receptors (NRs) responding to adrenal and sex steroids are key regulators of reproduction and growth in mammals, and are thought to have evolved from an ancestral NR most closely related to extant estrogen-related receptors (ERRs). The molecular events (and ligands) that distinguish steroid-activated NRs (SRs) from their inferred ancestor, that gave rise to both the ERRs and SRs, remain unknown. We report that target sequences for fatty-acylation (palmitoylation) at a key cysteine residue (corresponding to Cys447 in human estrogen receptor ERα) in helix 8 of the ligand-binding domain accurately demarcate SRs from ERRs. Docking studies are consistent with the hypothesis that palmitate embeds into a key groove in the receptor surface. The implications of lipidation, and of potential alternative ligands for the key cysteine residue, for receptor function and the evolution of SRs are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Lathe
- Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK.
| | - Douglas R Houston
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK.
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30
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Wang ZY, Ragsdale CW. Multiple optic gland signaling pathways implicated in octopus maternal behaviors and death. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb185751. [PMID: 30104305 PMCID: PMC6198452 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.185751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Post-reproductive life in the female octopus is characterized by an extreme pattern of maternal care: the mother cares for her clutch of eggs without feeding until her death. These maternal behaviors are eradicated if the optic glands, the octopus analog of the vertebrate pituitary gland, are removed from brooding females. Despite the optic gland's importance in regulating maternal behavior, the molecular features underlying optic gland function are unknown. Here, we identify major signaling systems of the Octopus bimaculoides optic gland. Through behavioral analyses and transcriptome sequencing, we report that the optic gland undergoes remarkable molecular changes that coincide with transitions between behavioral stages. These include the dramatic upregulation and downregulation of catecholamine, steroid, insulin and feeding peptide pathways. Transcriptome analyses in other tissues demonstrate that these molecular changes are not generalized markers of senescence, but instead, specific features of the optic glands. Our study expands the classic optic gland-pituitary gland analogy and more specifically, it indicates that, rather than a single 'self-destruct' hormone, the maternal optic glands employ multiple pathways as systemic hormonal signals of behavioral regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Yan Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Clifton W Ragsdale
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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31
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Rosati L, Agnese M, Verderame M, Aniello F, Venditti M, Mita DG, Andreuccetti P, Prisco M. Morphological and molecular responses in ovaries of Mytilus galloprovincialis
collected in two different sites of the Naples Bay. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 331:52-60. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. Rosati
- Department of Biology; University of Naples Federico II; Naples Italy
| | - M. Agnese
- Department of Biology; University of Naples Federico II; Naples Italy
| | - M. Verderame
- Department of Biology; University of Naples Federico II; Naples Italy
| | - F. Aniello
- Department of Biology; University of Naples Federico II; Naples Italy
| | - M. Venditti
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Sez, Fisiologia Umana e Funzioni Biologiche Integrate; Università degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”; Napoli Italy
| | - D. G. Mita
- Section of Molecular Oncology, Institute of Genetics and Biophysics of CNR; Naples Italy
- Section of Molecular Oncology, National Laboratory on Endocrine Disruptors - Interuniversity Consortium INBB; Naples Italy
| | - P. Andreuccetti
- Department of Biology; University of Naples Federico II; Naples Italy
| | - M. Prisco
- Department of Biology; University of Naples Federico II; Naples Italy
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32
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Santos MM, Ruivo R, Capitão A, Fonseca E, Castro LFC. Identifying the gaps: Resources and perspectives on the use of nuclear receptor based-assays to improve hazard assessment of emerging contaminants. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2018; 358:508-511. [PMID: 29731175 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.04.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Biological control of key processes, such as development and reproduction, is largely ascribed to a superfamily of ligand-dependent and independent transcription factors named Nuclear Receptors (NRs). Given their ability to accommodate ligands, NRs are prime targets of man-made compounds that mimic or antagonise the action of endogenous ligands. Accordingly, NRs occupy a prominent role in OECD and EPA guidelines for testing and assessment of Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Although NR assays are already a key instrument in the OECD Conceptual Framework for Testing and Assessment of EDCs, the focus is mostly on vertebrate NRs. Here, we address the chief knowledge gaps in the field. More specifically, we (1) verify the growing availability of genomes/transcriptome projects, (2) highlight gaps in the identification and characterization of metazoan NR and in the establishment of (3) life cycle and (4) toxicity testing protocols. An overall bias towards vertebrates and selected invertebrate groups, notably Arthropoda, Annelida and Mollusca, was observed. Hence, if we aim to improve risk assessment of EDCs and emerging pollutants at an ecosystems scale, and understand their mode of action (MOA), we must establish a framework to include a broad phylogenetic sampling of Metazoans.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Santos
- CIMAR/CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal; FCUP - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - R Ruivo
- CIMAR/CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal
| | - A Capitão
- CIMAR/CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal; FCUP - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - E Fonseca
- CIMAR/CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal; FCUP - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - L F C Castro
- CIMAR/CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal; FCUP - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
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33
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Blalock BJ, Robinson WE, Loguinov A, Vulpe CD, Krick KS, Poynton HC. Transcriptomic and Network Analyses Reveal Mechanistic-Based Biomarkers of Endocrine Disruption in the Marine Mussel, Mytilus edulis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:9419-9430. [PMID: 29953215 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b01604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptomics, high-throughput assays, and adverse outcome pathways (AOP) are promising approaches applied to toxicity monitoring in the 21st century, but development of these methods is challenging for nonmodel organisms and emerging contaminants. For example, Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs) may cause reproductive impairments and feminization of male bivalves; however, the mechanism linked to this adverse outcome is unknown. To develop mechanism-based biomarkers that may be linked through an AOP, we exposed Mytilus edulis to 17-alpha-ethinylestradiol (5 and 50 ng/L) and 4-nonylphenol (1 and 100 μg/L) for 32 and 39 days. When mussels were exposed to these EDCs, we found elevated female specific transcripts and significant female-skewed sex ratios using a RT-qPCR assay. We performed gene expression analysis on digestive gland tissue using an M. edulis microarray and through network and targeted analyses identified the nongenomic estrogen signaling pathway and steroidogenesis pathway as the likely mechanisms of action for a putative AOP. We also identified several homologues to genes within the vertebrate steroidogenesis pathway including the cholesterol side chain cleavage complex. From this AOP, we designed the Coastal Biosensor for Endocrine Disruption (C-BED) assay which was confirmed in the laboratory and tested in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie J Blalock
- School for the Environment , University of Massachusetts Boston , Boston , Massachusetts 02125 United States
| | - William E Robinson
- School for the Environment , University of Massachusetts Boston , Boston , Massachusetts 02125 United States
| | - Alexandre Loguinov
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology , University of Florida , Gainesville , Florida 32611 United States
| | - Chris D Vulpe
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology , University of Florida , Gainesville , Florida 32611 United States
| | - Keegan S Krick
- School for the Environment , University of Massachusetts Boston , Boston , Massachusetts 02125 United States
| | - Helen C Poynton
- School for the Environment , University of Massachusetts Boston , Boston , Massachusetts 02125 United States
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Burgos-Aceves MA, Cohen A, Smith Y, Faggio C. A potential microRNA regulation of immune-related genes in invertebrate haemocytes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 621:302-307. [PMID: 29190554 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Bivalve mollusks have been employed as sentinel organisms in environmental health programs due to their sedentary lifestyle, filter-feeding behavior and their ability to accumulate pathogens or toxin molecules inside tissues. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can be up taken and bioaccumulated, and due to sensibility of mollusks to these EDCs, being able to cause immune alterations. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) were shown to be involved in modulation and buffering developmental processes against the effects of environmental alterations and pathogenic microorganisms. Moreover, it is suggested that this miRNAs are incorporated into the estrogen-controlled immune network, regulating mechanism of immune gene expression at the posttranscriptional level, modulating immune responses as phagocytosis, redox reaction and apoptosis in bivalve haemocytes. Thus, miRNAs can be used as biomarkers that specifically elucidate immunotoxic effects caused by exogenous biotic or abiotic factors, and can act as useful tools in integrated monitoring environmental health programs. In this review, we aim to describe the investigations that have been carried out on miRNAs in bivalve mollusks, especially those associated with immune responses against infectious agents and xenobiotic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Alberto Burgos-Aceves
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C., Mar Bermejo 195, Col. Playa Palo de Sta. Rita, La Paz, BCS 23096, Mexico
| | - Amit Cohen
- Genomic Data Analysis Unit, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem-Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Yoav Smith
- Genomic Data Analysis Unit, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem-Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Caterina Faggio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
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Mezghani-Chaari S, Machreki-Ajimi M, Hamza-Chaffai A, Minier C. High estradiol exposure disrupts the reproductive cycle of the clam Ruditapes decussatus in a sex-specific way. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:26670-26680. [PMID: 28956239 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0146-4] [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: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Bivalve species may be susceptible to environmental estrogenic compounds including estradiol (E2). However, they are able to biotransform the hormone quite readily and inactivate its estrogenic action. To study the long-term effects of elevated free E2 tissue levels, we transiently exceeded the biotransformation capacity of the clam Ruditapes decussatus by exposing them with high E2 concentrations (400 ng/L) and subsequently study the consequences on gametogenesis during the following reproductive cycle. Exposure to 400 ngE2/L led to a significant increase in tissue free E2 levels, which reached 10-50 ng E2Eq/gww. No deleterious effect on gonado-somatic index (GSI), condition index (CI), or ability to respond to the stress on stress test could be detected after a month of exposure, suggesting the absence of negative effects on the clam's health. However, a marked increase in gametogenesis could be observed in both sexes during the exposure. Subsequent transplantation of the clams in the field allowed the normal development of the male clams and maturation of the gonads without any detrimental effect observed after 4 months. In contrast, in early July, all female clams formerly exposed to E2 showed lower health status, and only ovaries with atretic oocytes while all control and indigenous females were normal and mature. These results show a sex-specific effect of high E2 exposure and suggest either a direct or indirect role for E2 in R. decussatus' reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sawssan Mezghani-Chaari
- Unit of Marine and Environmental Toxicology, Sfax University, IPEIS, BP 1172, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia.
- Laboratory of Ecotoxicology, UMR-I 02 SEBIO, Normandie University, BP 540, 76058, Le Havre, France.
| | - Monia Machreki-Ajimi
- Unit of Marine and Environmental Toxicology, Sfax University, IPEIS, BP 1172, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Amel Hamza-Chaffai
- Unit of Marine and Environmental Toxicology, Sfax University, IPEIS, BP 1172, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Christophe Minier
- Laboratory of Ecotoxicology, UMR-I 02 SEBIO, Normandie University, BP 540, 76058, Le Havre, France
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36
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Bal N, Kumar A, Nugegoda D. Assessing multigenerational effects of prednisolone to the freshwater snail, Physa acuta (Gastropoda: Physidae). JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2017; 339:281-291. [PMID: 28658637 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 06/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Prednisolone (PDS), a potent synthetic glucocorticoid is widely prescribed for its exceptional anti-inflammatory properties. Several studies have detected the environmental presence of PDS in water bodies which has led to an ecological concern for its toxicity to non-target aquatic biota. The present study investigated the effects of exposure to PDS on different life-cycle stages and generations of the freshwater snail, Physa acuta. This continuous exposure over a period of multiple generations resulted in generational impairments at measured endpoints. LOEC values (p<0.001) for PDS exposure ranged from 32 to 4μg/L in exposed F0-F2 generations. Global DNA methylation (% 5-methyl cytosine) of adult progeny was found to be affected at higher test concentrations in comparison to the parent snails. Partially formed to completely missed growth components of shell structure and shell thinning in abnormally underdeveloped PDS exposed snails of F1 and F2 generation, was also observed in this multigenerational exposure experiment. The multigenerational study confirmed P. acuta as a promising bioindicator since critical effects of the long term glucocorticoid exposure opens up the way for further investigations on transgenerational toxicity in environmental toxicology and risk assessment and to monitor glucocorticoid pollution in aqueous ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navdeep Bal
- School of Science, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia; CSIRO Land and Water, PMB 2, Glen Osmond, SA, 5064, Australia.
| | - Anu Kumar
- CSIRO Land and Water, PMB 2, Glen Osmond, SA, 5064, Australia.
| | - Dayanthi Nugegoda
- School of Science, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.
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Kim DH, Kim HS, Hwang DS, Kim HJ, Hagiwara A, Lee JS, Jeong CB. Genome-wide identification of nuclear receptor (NR) genes and the evolutionary significance of the NR1O subfamily in the monogonont rotifer Brachionus spp. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 252:219-225. [PMID: 28673513 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear receptors (NRs) are a large family of transcription factors that are involved in many fundamental biological processes. NRs are considered to have originated from a common ancestor, and are highly conserved throughout the whole animal taxa. Therefore, the genome-wide identification of NR genes in an animal taxon can provide insight into the evolutionary tendencies of NRs. Here, we identified all the NR genes in the monogonont rotifer Brachionus spp., which are considered an ecologically key species due to their abundance and world-wide distribution. The NR family was composed of 40, 32, 29, and 32 genes in the genomes of the rotifers B. calyciflorus, B. koreanus, B. plicatilis, and B. rotundiformis, respectively, which were classified into seven distinct subfamilies. The composition of each subfamily was highly conserved between species, except for NR1O genes, suggesting that they have undergone sporadic evolutionary processes for adaptation to their different environmental pressures. In addition, despite the dynamics of NR evolution, the significance of the conserved endocrine system, particularly for estrogen receptor (ER)-signaling, in rotifers was discussed on the basis of phylogenetic analyses. The results of this study may help provide a better understanding the evolution of NRs, and expand our knowledge of rotifer endocrine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duck-Hyun Kim
- Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Hui-Su Kim
- Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Dae-Sik Hwang
- Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Hee-Jin Kim
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hagiwara
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Jae-Seong Lee
- Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea.
| | - Chang-Bum Jeong
- Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea.
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38
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Bury NR. The evolution, structure and function of the ray finned fish (Actinopterygii) glucocorticoid receptors. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 251:4-11. [PMID: 27838382 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Basal ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii) possess a single glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and when compared to the lobe-finned vertebrate (Sarcopterygii) GR possess nine additional amino acids between the zinc-finger of the DNA binding domain. A whole genome duplication event which occurred between 320 and 350MYA in the teleost lineage following the split from the basal ray-finned fish resulted in 2 GRs: one GR group, GR1, has retained the 9 amino acids insert whereas the other group, GR2, has not. The exception to this is the zebrafish, that have lost one of the GRs, but they do possess 2 GRs with a splice variant that lacks the C-terminal portion of the GR to form GRβ which acts as a dominant-repressor of the wildtype GR. Another splice variant sees the basal ray-finned GR and teleost GR1 without the 9 amino acids insert. The molecular basis for GRs retention is beginning to be unravelled. In Pantadon buchholzi, rainbow trout, carp, marine and Japanese medaka GR2 is more sensitive to glucocorticoids (GC), thus potentially playing a more significant role in regulating gene expression at basal circulatory GC concentrations. However, this division in GC sensitivity is not seen in other species. The few studies to evaluate the significance of the 9 amino acid insert have shown that it affect maximal transactivational activity the extent to which is dependent on the number of glucocorticoid response elements (GREs) present in the reporter plasmid. The retention of these GRs would suggest there was an evolutionary advantage, which saw the development of a complex regulatory process to mediate the actions of the glucocorticoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nic R Bury
- King's College London, Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, Franklin Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, United Kingdom; University of Suffolk, Faculty of Health and Science, James Hehir Building, University Quays, Ipswich IP3 0AQ, Suffolk, United Kingdom.
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39
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Prisco M, Agnese M, De Marino A, Andreuccetti P, Rosati L. Spermatogenic Cycle and Steroidogenic Control of Spermatogenesis in Mytilus galloprovincialis Collected in the Bay of Naples. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 300:1881-1894. [PMID: 28658561 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present article was to study the spermatogenic cycle of Mytilus galloprovincialis collected in the Bay of Naples during a whole year and to acquire new insights into the mechanism of control. Knowledge of the Mytilus cycle in this geographic area is of particular interest as, to the best of our knowledge, the male gonad cycle has been hitherto unexplored. Testis organization was evaluated together with the localization of the enzymes 3β-HSD, 17β-HSD, and P450-aromatase, which are strictly connected to the synthesis of two key hormones involved in the testis activity: testosterone and 17β-estradiol. It was demonstrated that: (1) the spermatogenic cycle starts in late Summer-early Fall and continues until early Winter, when the first spawning occurs; after rapid gonad restoration, several spawning events take place until June, when the testis becomes non-active again; (2) in the testis, true Leydig and Sertoli cells are present; (3) during the reproductive period, Sertoli, Leydig, germ, and adipogranular cells (ADGs) are positive to 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD, while only germ cells are positive to P450 aromatase; by contrast, during the resting period, only ADGs are positive to 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD, and P450-aromatase is no longer recognizable. The presence of a hermaphrodite sample is also described. Anat Rec, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Anat Rec, 300:1881-1894, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Prisco
- Department of Biology, Federico II Naples University, Naples, Italy
| | - Marisa Agnese
- Department of Biology, Federico II Naples University, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Luigi Rosati
- Department of Biology, Federico II Naples University, Naples, Italy
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40
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Clifford AM, Bury NR, Schultz AG, Ede JD, Goss BL, Goss GG. Regulation of plasma glucose and sulfate excretion in Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stoutii is not mediated by 11-deoxycortisol. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 247:107-115. [PMID: 28126345 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to identify whether Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) possess glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid responses and to examine the potential role(s) of four key steroids in these responses. Pacific hagfish were injected with varying amounts of cortisol, corticosterone or 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) using coconut oil implants and plasma glucose and gill total-ATPase activity were monitored as indices of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid responses. Furthermore, we also monitored plasma glucose and 11-deoxycortisol (11-DOC) levels following exhaustive stress (30 min of agitation) or following repeated infusion with SO42-. There were no changes in gill total-ATPase following implantation with any steroid, with only very small statistical increases in plasma glucose noted in hagfish implanted with either DOC (at 20 and 200mgkg-1 at 7 and 4days post-injection, respectively) or corticosterone (at 100mgkg-1 at 7days post-injection). Following exhaustive stress, hagfish displayed a large and sustained increase in plasma glucose. Repeated infusion of SO42- into hagfish caused increases in both plasma glucose levels and SO42- excretion rate suggesting a regulated glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid response. However, animals under either condition did not show any significant increases in plasma 11-DOC concentrations. Our results suggest that while there are active glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid responses in hagfish, 11-DOC does not appear to be involved and the identity and primary function of the steroid in hagfish remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Clifford
- Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Bamfield, BC, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Nicolas R Bury
- Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Bamfield, BC, Canada; Diabetes & Nutritional Sciences Division, Kings College, London, UK; Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Suffolk, Suffolk, UK
| | - Aaron G Schultz
- Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Bamfield, BC, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - James D Ede
- Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Bamfield, BC, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Brendan L Goss
- Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Bamfield, BC, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Greg G Goss
- Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Bamfield, BC, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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41
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Expression and DNA methylation pattern of reproduction-related genes in partially fertile triploid Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas. Genes Genomics 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13258-017-0563-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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42
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Tran TKA, MacFarlane GR, Kong RYC, O'Connor WA, Yu RMK. The constitutively active estrogen receptor (ER) binds and activates the promoter of the vitellogenin (Vtg) gene in the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 118:397-402. [PMID: 28259423 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Vitellogenin (Vtg) is a well-established biomarker of estrogenic exposure in aquatic animals. In vertebrates, Vtg gene transcription is controlled by the estrogen receptors (ERs). Although an ER ortholog is present in molluscs, its role as a transcriptional regulator remains elusive. Here, we tested the hypothesis that in the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, the ER ortholog activates Vtg gene transcription through specific interaction with its promoter. Luciferase reporter assays indicated that sgER activated both a minimal promoter containing the consensus estrogen-responsive elements (EREs) and the sgVtg promoter in an estrogen-independent manner. The sgVtg promoter-luciferase activation was significantly reduced when any of three putative ERE half sites (½EREs) in the promoter were mutated. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) confirmed that sgER binds specifically to a 68-bp promoter sequence where these ½EREs reside. Overall, the results suggest that sgER is a constitutively active transcription factor that binds and activates the sgVtg promoter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Kim Anh Tran
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Vinh University, 182 Le Duan St., Vinh City, Nghe An, Vietnam
| | - Geoff R MacFarlane
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Richard Yuen Chong Kong
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wayne A O'Connor
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Taylors Beach, NSW 2316, Australia
| | - Richard Man Kit Yu
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
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Lv L, Dong X, Lv F, Zhao W, Yu Y, Yang W. Molecular cloning and characterization of an estrogen receptor gene in the marine polychaete Perinereis aibuhitensis. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2017; 207:15-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2017.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Lü ZM, Liu W, Liu LQ, Wang TM, Shi HL, Ping HL, Chi CF, Yang JW, Wu CW. Cloning, Characterization, and Expression Profile of Estrogen Receptor in Common Chinese Cuttlefish, Sepiella japonica. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 325:181-93. [PMID: 27076436 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Sex steroid hormones are widely detected in molluscs and play important roles in sex determination, gonadal tissue maturation, and gametogenesis. Nevertheless, the signaling pathways of sex steroids in cephalopod have not yet been clearly elucidated. In the present study, a full-length sequence encoding the estrogen receptor (ER) was isolated from common Chinese cuttlefish, Sepiella japonica. The sjER cDNA clone was found to contain 1,788 nucleotides including a 1,470 bp open reading frame encoding 489 amino acid (aa) residues. The deduced ER protein consisted of six nuclear receptor characteristic domains. Based on a phylogenetic analysis, the ER DNA-binding domain and ligand-binding domain are highly conserved compared to other mollusc ERs. Highest aa identities were found for sjER with common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) ER (89%) and pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) ER (61%). Tissue expression analysis confirmed that sjER was widely distributed among tissues and predominantly expressed in the brain, liver, gonad (testis and ovary), and other accessory sexual gland (nidamental gland). The ER expression was temporally upregulated in the brain, liver, and ovary during the early sexual maturation period in S. japonica, which is coincident with the fluctuation of ovary estradiol content. These suggest that sjER may be involved in regulating the reproductive cycle of S. japonica. A fusion protein transient transfections assay showed that sjER was mainly located in the nucleus, suggesting a possible orthodox working mechanism of S. japonica ER in the nucleus through a ligand-dependent activation of specific gene transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Ming Lü
- National Engineering Research Center for Facilitated Marine Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Wan Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Facilitated Marine Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Li-Qin Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Facilitated Marine Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Tian-Ming Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Facilitated Marine Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Hui-Lai Shi
- Marine Fisheries Research Institute of Zhejiang Province, Zhoushan, China
| | - Hong-Ling Ping
- Marine Fisheries Research Institute of Zhejiang Province, Zhoushan, China
| | - Chang-Feng Chi
- National Engineering Research Center for Facilitated Marine Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Jing-Wen Yang
- National Engineering Research Center for Facilitated Marine Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Chang-Wen Wu
- National Engineering Research Center for Facilitated Marine Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
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Morthorst JE. A field study of hemolymph yolk protein levels in a bivalve (Unio tumidus) and future considerations for bivalve yolk protein as endocrine biomarker. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2017; 192:16-22. [PMID: 27890716 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Induction of yolk protein in male fish is a recognized biomarker for estrogenic exposure because the estrogen-dependent induction mechanism is well investigated and there is a clear difference in yolk protein levels of unexposed males and females. Attempts have been made to use induction of bivalve yolk protein as biomarker for estrogenic exposure. However, several biomarker validation criteria have not yet been investigated e.g. an in-depth understanding of the induction mechanism and background variability is needed and reliable detection assays are yet to be developed. To obtain background knowledge about yolk protein levels freshwater bivalves (Unio tumidus) were collected in an uncontaminated Danish lake over the course of a year (33 collection dates). The hemolymph yolk protein concentration of 569 individuals was determined by a species specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and male and female gonadal development cycles were established. The average yolk protein levels of males and females collected at each sampling date overlapped in some periods; the male and female range was 66,946 - 169,692 ng/mL and 88,731 - 681,667 ng/mL, respectively. Because male and female hemolymph yolk protein levels overlap, great care should be taken if yolk protein induction in bivalve hemolymph is considered as endocrine biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane E Morthorst
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5220, Odense M, Denmark.
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46
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Leonard JA, Cope WG, Hammer EJ, Barnhart MC, Bringolf RB. Extending the toxicity-testing paradigm for freshwater mussels: Assessing chronic reproductive effects of the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol on the unionid mussel Elliptio complanata. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2017; 191:14-25. [PMID: 27612666 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Surface water concentrations of the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) as low as 1ng/L can cause adverse reproductive effects in fish under acute and chronic exposure conditions, whereas higher concentrations (> 5ng/L) in acute studies are necessary to elicit adverse effects in freshwater mussels. Prolonged chronic exposures of freshwater mussels to EE2 remain un-evaluated. An extended duration testing paradigm was used to examine reproductive and biochemical (carbohydrate, lipid, protein) effects of EE2 on the unionid mussel, Elliptio complanata, throughout its reproductive cycle. Mussels were exposed to a control and EE2 concentrations (5 and 50ng/L) in six discrete and sequential 28 d tests, and in one discrete and simultaneous 180 d test, from February through August. Foot protrusion and siphoning behavior were recorded daily, along with conglutinate releases and larval (glochidia) mortality. Gonad, hemolymph, and gonad fluid samples were taken for biochemical and vitellogenin-like protein (Vtg) analysis post-exposure. Female mussels released eggs and conglutinates during the months of April to June, indicating sexual maturation during this time. Conglutinates released in the 5ng/L treatment in 28 d exposures contained fewer glochidia and more eggs, and increased concentrations of Vtg in hemolymph were observed from April to August in the 5ng/L treatment during the 180 d exposure. Results indicate that the 180 d test approach, concurrent with the sequence of 28 d tests, enabled a more robust evaluation of mussel behavior and physiology than would have been possible with a single short-term (28 d) test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy A Leonard
- Department of Applied Ecology, Box 7617, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
| | - W Gregory Cope
- Department of Applied Ecology, Box 7617, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Edward J Hammer
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 77 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604, USA
| | - M Christopher Barnhart
- Department of Biology, 901 South Avenue, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO 65897, USA
| | - Robert B Bringolf
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Schwarz TI, Katsiadaki I, Maskrey BH, Scott AP. Mussels (Mytilus spp.) display an ability for rapid and high capacity uptake of the vertebrate steroid, estradiol-17β from water. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2017; 165:407-420. [PMID: 27568213 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Six experiments were carried out to define the optimum conditions for investigating the dynamics of uptake and metabolism of tritiated E2 from water by adult blue mussels, Mytilus spp. Optimum uptake was achieved using 400mL aerated sea water animal-1 and an incubation period of no more than 24h. The pattern of disappearance conformed closest to an inverse hyperbolic curve with the percentage of radiolabel that could be measured in the water reaching an asymptote that was on average 50% of the original. This apparent inability of the animals to absorb all the radiolabel was investigated further. Solvent partition and chromatography revealed that, after 24h, c. 60% of the radiolabel still present in the water was composed of water soluble conjugates, c. 25% was composed of tritiated water and only 15% ran on and around the chromatographic position of E2. The major water soluble constituent was identified by chromatography and mass-spectrometry as 1,3,5(10)-estratriene-3,17β-diol 3-sulfate (estradiol 3-S). The clearance rate of radiolabel was 46.9±1.8mLanimal-1h-1. This was not significantly affected by the addition of as much as 25μgL-1 cold E2 to the water, demonstrating that mussels have a large capacity for E2 uptake. A new procedure involving solvent partition was developed for separating the free, esterified and sulfated forms of E2 present in the flesh of mussels. This involved extracting the soft tissue with organic solvents and then treating a portion of dried extract with a combination of heptane (dissolved fatty acid esters of E2) and 80% ethanol (dissolved free and sulfated E2). The latter fraction was further partitioned between water (sulfate) and diethyl ether (free steroid). This procedure was much cheaper and less time-consuming than chromatography. Approximately 80% of the radioactivity that was taken up by the animals was present in the form of ester. Moreover, E2 was the only steroid identified after saponification of these esters. Of the remaining radioactivity, c. 10% was in the form of unidentified free steroids and c. 10% was estradiol 3-S. In order to determine how rapidly mussels were able to depurate tritiated E2 and its metabolites, two experiments were carried out. Animals from the first experiment purged up to 63% of radioactivity in 20days under flow-through conditions; whereas animals from the second experiment released only 16% of radioactivity in 10days under semi-static conditions. The ratios of the different forms of E2 did not change substantially during the course of depuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar I Schwarz
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Barrack Road, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK
| | - Ioanna Katsiadaki
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Barrack Road, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK.
| | - Benjamin H Maskrey
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Barrack Road, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK
| | - Alexander P Scott
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Barrack Road, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK
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48
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Pugh C, Kolaczkowski O, Manny A, Korithoski B, Kolaczkowski B. Resurrecting ancestral structural dynamics of an antiviral immune receptor: adaptive binding pocket reorganization repeatedly shifts RNA preference. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:241. [PMID: 27825296 PMCID: PMC5101713 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0818-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although resurrecting ancestral proteins is a powerful tool for understanding the molecular-functional evolution of gene families, nearly all studies have examined proteins functioning in relatively stable biological processes. The extent to which more dynamic systems obey the same ‘rules’ governing stable processes is unclear. Here we present the first detailed investigation of the functional evolution of the RIG-like receptors (RLRs), a family of innate immune receptors that detect viral RNA in the cytoplasm. Results Using kinetic binding assays and molecular dynamics simulations of ancestral proteins, we demonstrate how a small number of adaptive protein-coding changes repeatedly shifted the RNA preference of RLRs throughout animal evolution by reorganizing the shape and electrostatic distribution across the RNA binding pocket, altering the hydrogen bond network between the RLR and its RNA target. In contrast to observations of proteins involved in metabolism and development, we find that RLR-RNA preference ‘flip flopped’ between two functional states, and shifts in RNA preference were not always coupled to gene duplications or speciation events. We demonstrate at least one reversion of RLR-RNA preference from a derived to an ancestral function through a novel structural mechanism, indicating multiple structural implementations of similar functions. Conclusions Our results suggest a model in which frequent shifts in selection pressures imposed by an evolutionary arms race preclude the long-term functional optimization observed in stable biological systems. As a result, the evolutionary dynamics of immune receptors may be less constrained by structural epistasis and historical contingency. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0818-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Pugh
- Department of Microbiology & Cell Science and Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | - Oralia Kolaczkowski
- Department of Microbiology & Cell Science and Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | - Austin Manny
- Department of Microbiology & Cell Science and Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | - Bryan Korithoski
- Department of Microbiology & Cell Science and Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | - Bryan Kolaczkowski
- Department of Microbiology & Cell Science and Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. .,Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
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Ankley GT, LaLone CA, Gray LE, Villeneuve DL, Hornung MW. Evaluation of the scientific underpinnings for identifying estrogenic chemicals in nonmammalian taxa using mammalian test systems. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2016; 35:2806-2816. [PMID: 27074246 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Revised: 04/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The US Environmental Protection Agency has responsibility for assessing endocrine activity of more than 10 000 chemicals, a task that cannot reasonably be achieved solely through use of available mammalian and nonmammalian in vivo screening assays. Hence, it has been proposed that chemicals be prioritized for in vivo testing using data from in vitro high-throughput assays for specific endocrine system targets. Recent efforts focused on potential estrogenic chemicals-specifically those that activate estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα)-have broadly demonstrated feasibility of the approach. However, a major uncertainty is whether prioritization based on mammalian (primarily human) high-throughput assays accurately reflects potential chemical-ERα interactions in nonmammalian species. The authors conducted a comprehensive analysis of cross-species comparability of chemical-ERα interactions based on information concerning structural attributes of estrogen receptors, in vitro binding and transactivation data for ERα, and the effects of a range of chemicals on estrogen-signaling pathways in vivo. Overall, this integrated analysis suggests that chemicals with moderate to high estrogenic potency in mammalian systems also should be priority chemicals in nonmammalian vertebrates. However, the degree to which the prioritization approach might be applicable to invertebrates is uncertain because of a lack of knowledge of the biological role(s) of possible ERα orthologs found in phyla such as annelids. Further, comparative analysis of in vitro data for fish and reptiles suggests that mammalian-based assays may not effectively capture ERα interactions for low-affinity chemicals in all vertebrate classes. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:2806-2816. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald T Ankley
- Mid-Continent Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota.
| | - Carlie A LaLone
- Mid-Continent Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - L Earl Gray
- Toxicity Assessment Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Daniel L Villeneuve
- Mid-Continent Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Michael W Hornung
- Mid-Continent Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
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50
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Tran TKA, MacFarlane GR, Kong RYC, O'Connor WA, Yu RMK. Potential mechanisms underlying estrogen-induced expression of the molluscan estrogen receptor (ER) gene. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2016; 179:82-94. [PMID: 27592181 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2016.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrates, estrogens and estrogen mimicking chemicals modulate gene expression mainly through a genomic pathway mediated by the estrogen receptors (ERs). Although the existence of an ER orthologue in the mollusc genome has been known for some time, its role in estrogen signalling has yet to be deciphered. This is largely due to its constitutive (ligand-independent) activation and a limited mechanistic understanding of its regulation. To fill this knowledge gap, we cloned and characterised an ER cDNA (sgER) and the 5'-flanking region of the gene from the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata. The sgER cDNA is predicted to encode a 477-amino acid protein that contains a DNA-binding domain (DBD) and a ligand-binding domain (LBD) typically conserved among both vertebrate and invertebrate ERs. A comparison of the sgER LBD sequence with those of other ligand-dependent ERs revealed that the sgER LBD is variable at several conserved residues known to be critical for ligand binding and receptor activation. Ligand binding assays using fluorescent-labelled E2 and purified sgER protein confirmed that sgER is devoid of estrogen binding. In silico analysis of the sgER 5'-flanking sequence indicated the presence of three putative estrogen responsive element (ERE) half-sites and several putative sites for ER-interacting transcription factors, suggesting that the sgER promoter may be autoregulated by its own gene product. sgER mRNA is ubiquitously expressed in adult oyster tissues, with the highest expression found in the ovary. Ovarian expression of sgER mRNA was significantly upregulated following in vitro and in vivo exposure to 17β-estradiol (E2). Notably, the activation of sgER expression by E2 in vitro was abolished by the specific ER antagonist ICI 182, 780. To determine whether sgER expression is epigenetically regulated, the in vivo DNA methylation status of the putative proximal promoter in ovarian tissues was assessed using bisulfite genomic sequencing. The results showed that the promoter is predominantly hypomethylated (with 0-3.3% methylcytosines) regardless of sgER mRNA levels. Overall, our investigations suggest that the estrogen responsiveness of sgER is regulated by a novel ligand-dependent receptor, presumably via a non-genomic pathway(s) of estrogen signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Kim Anh Tran
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Vinh University, 182 Le Duan St., Vinh City, Nghe An, Vietnam
| | - Geoff R MacFarlane
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Richard Yuen Chong Kong
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Wayne A O'Connor
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Taylors Beach, NSW 2316, Australia
| | - Richard Man Kit Yu
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
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