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Studying Neurobehavioral Effects of Environmental Pollutants on Zebrafish Larvae
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Methods for toxicology studies in echinoderm embryos and larvae
Cristina Torres-Duarte1, Carol A Vines2, Elise Fairbairn2
1Unidad de Tecnología Ambiental, Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico; Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California-Davis, Bodega Bay, CA, United States.
Methods in Cell Biology
|February 20, 2019
Summary
Sea urchin embryos offer a robust model for assessing environmental chemical impacts on development. New pulse-chase methods using fluorescent probes and microscopy reveal cellular damage and skeletal development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Toxicology
- Marine Biology
- Ecotoxicology
Background:
- Sea urchin embryos are established models for developmental toxicology.
- Decades of research highlight their utility in studying chemical impacts on development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present novel pulse-chase methods for assessing environmental chemical impacts on sea urchin early development and larval stages.
- To detail the application of fluorescence assays and microscopy for evaluating cellular functions and damage.
Main Methods:
- Utilized pulse-chase experiments with sea urchin embryos and larvae.
- Employed fluorescence plate assays with fluorescent probes to measure cell functions (mitochondrial membrane potential, lysosome abundance, reactive oxygen species, esterase activity).
- Applied confocal microscopy for cellular damage localization and polarized light microscopy for spicule morphology assessment.
Main Results:
- Established methods for quantifying cellular functions in response to chemical exposure.
- Demonstrated localization of cellular damage using confocal microscopy.
- Developed techniques to assess sea urchin larval skeleton formation and morphology.
Conclusions:
- The described methods provide a comprehensive approach to evaluating the developmental toxicity of environmental chemicals using sea urchin models.
- These techniques enable detailed analysis of cellular and morphological impacts, aiding in risk assessment.
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