Correlation of gene expression and contaminant concentrations in wild largescale suckers: A field-based study

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 484; pp. 379 - 389
• Main Authors: Christiansen, Helena E., Mehinto, Alvine C., Yu, Fahong, Perry, Russell W., Denslow, Nancy D., Maule, Alec G., Mesa, Matthew G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.06.2014
• Subjects: Animals; apoptosis; biomarkers; birds; Catostomus macrocheilus; Columbia River; Contaminants; Cypriniformes - genetics; Cypriniformes - physiology; drugs; Environmental Monitoring; flame retardants; Flame Retardants - metabolism; Flame Retardants - toxicity; gene expression; Gene Expression - drug effects; genes; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - metabolism; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - toxicity; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - metabolism; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - toxicity; Largescale sucker; lipid metabolism; mammals; Microarray; microarray technology; monitoring; organochlorine pesticides; oxidative stress; Pesticides - metabolism; Pesticides - toxicity; Polybrominated biphenyl ethers; polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - metabolism; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - toxicity; rivers; Rivers - chemistry; toxic substances; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; watersheds; wild fish; Columbia River; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Largescale sucker; Polybrominated biphenyl ethers; Columbia River; Microarray; Contaminants
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.08.034
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026

Toxic compounds such as organochlorine pesticides (OCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs) have been detected in fish, birds, and aquatic mammals that live in the Columbia River or use food resources from within the river. We developed a custom microarray for largescale suckers (Catostomus macrocheilus) and used it to investigate the molecular effects of contaminant exposure on wild fish in the Columbia River. Using Significance Analysis of Microarrays (SAM) we identified 72 probes representing 69 unique genes with expression patterns that correlated with hepatic tissue levels of OCs, PCBs, or PBDEs. These genes were involved in many biological processes previously shown to respond to contaminant exposure, including drug and lipid metabolism, apoptosis, cellular transport, oxidative stress, and cellular chaperone function. The relation between gene expression and contaminant concentration suggests that these genes may respond to environmental contaminant exposure and are promising candidates for further field and laboratory studies to develop biomarkers for monitoring exposure of wild fish to contaminant mixtures found in the Columbia River Basin. The array developed in this study could also be a useful tool for studies involving endangered sucker species and other sucker species used in contaminant research. •Hepatic tissue concentrations of OCs, PCBs, and PBDEs were measured in wild largescale suckers.•Gene expression was analyzed by microarray in the same cohort of fish.•The expression patterns of 69 genes correlated with tissue contaminant concentration.•Correlated genes are candidates for use in future biomarker development.