Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2025
17:38
Radioactive in situ Hybridization for Detecting Diverse Gene Expression Patterns in Tissue
Published on: April 27, 2012
15.7K
Gene expression and trace elements in Greenlandic ringed seals (Pusa hispida)
Joy Ometere Boyi1, Christian Sonne2, Rune Dietz2
1Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Büsum, Germany.
Environmental Research
|December 11, 2023
Summary
Ringed seals in Greenland accumulate high levels of mercury and selenium, with adults showing greater concentrations. Molecular analysis revealed no direct link between these trace elements and gene expression changes, indicating other stressors may be involved.
Area of Science:
- Marine biology
- Environmental toxicology
- Arctic ecology
Background:
- Ringed seals, as apex predators in the Arctic, biomagnify environmental contaminants.
- Increasing human activities in the Arctic expose ringed seals to heavy metals, causing health issues like reproductive impairment and neurological damage.
- Limited understanding exists regarding the molecular impacts of heavy metals on Arctic ringed seals facing environmental changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the concentrations of cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and selenium (Se) in Greenlandic ringed seals.
- To analyze molecular biomarkers related to bio-transformation, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and immune activity in response to trace element exposure.
- To explore potential correlations between trace element levels and molecular responses in ringed seals.
Main Methods:
- Quantified concentrations of cadmium, mercury, and selenium in the livers of 16 Greenlandic ringed seals (9 adults, 7 subadults).
- Measured mRNA transcript levels of biomarkers including ARNT, PPARα, ESR1, TRα, IL-2, HSP70, and IL-10 in blood and blubber.
- Statistically analyzed the relationship between trace element concentrations and biomarker gene expression.
Main Results:
- Trace element concentrations followed the order: mercury > selenium > cadmium, with higher mercury and selenium levels observed in adult seals.
- mRNA transcript levels for ARNT, PPARα, ESR1, TRα, and IL-2 were highest in blubber, while HSP70 and IL-10 were significantly higher in blood.
- No significant correlations were found between the measured trace element concentrations and the mRNA transcript levels of the analyzed biomarkers.
Conclusions:
- The study indicates that factors other than the investigated trace elements (Cd, Hg, Se) are likely responsible for the observed changes in gene expression in Greenlandic ringed seals.
- Elevated mercury levels in ringed seals suggest a need for enhanced health monitoring programs for this Arctic population.
- Further research is warranted to identify the specific stressors impacting the molecular health of ringed seals in a changing Arctic environment.
Related Concept Videos
02:30Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
34.5K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
34.5K
02:24Ribosome Profiling
3.5K
Ribosome profiling or ribo-sequencing is a deep sequencing technique that produces a snapshot of active translation in a cell. It selectively sequences the mRNAs protected by ribosomes to get an insight into a cell’s translation landscape at any given point in time.
Applications of ribosome profiling
Ribosome profiling has many applications, including in vivo monitoring of translation inside a particular organ or tissue type and quantifying new protein synthesis levels.
The technique...
Applications of ribosome profiling
Ribosome profiling has many applications, including in vivo monitoring of translation inside a particular organ or tissue type and quantifying new protein synthesis levels.
The technique...
3.5K