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Studying Neurobehavioral Effects of Environmental Pollutants on Zebrafish Larvae
Published on: February 5, 2020
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Diverse PFAS produce unique transcriptomic changes linked to developmental toxicity in zebrafish.
Yvonne Rericha1,2, Lindsey St Mary1,2, Lisa Truong1,2
1Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Department, College of Agricultural Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States.
Frontiers in Toxicology
|August 6, 2024
Summary
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) cause toxicity through various mechanisms. This study used zebrafish to link PFAS structure to gene expression changes, revealing impacts on brain and nervous system development.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Toxicology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants with poorly understood toxicity mechanisms.
- A comprehensive understanding of how diverse PFAS structures affect biological systems is crucial for hazard assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the transcriptional responses of zebrafish to 15 bioactive PFAS.
- To correlate PFAS chemical structure with observed toxicity and gene expression patterns.
- To elucidate the modes of action underlying PFAS developmental toxicity.
Main Methods:
- Zebrafish embryos were exposed to 15 prioritized PFAS at 8 hours post fertilization.
- RNA-sequencing was performed at 48 hours post fertilization to analyze transcriptional changes.
- Internal PFAS concentrations and temporal transcriptomic responses were measured for select compounds.
Main Results:
- PFAS exposures induced a wide range of differentially expressed genes, primarily affecting brain and nervous system development.
- Similar PFAS functional head groups were associated with the disruption of similar gene sets.
- Sulfonic acid PFAS, like Nafion byproduct 2, showed higher body burdens and increasing transcriptional effects over time compared to sulfonamide PFAS.
Conclusions:
- PFAS chemical characteristics, including structure and functional groups, influence toxicity and transcriptional disruption.
- Zebrafish transcriptomics provide insights into PFAS modes of action and developmental toxicity.
- Findings aid in prioritizing PFAS for further testing and inform hazard assessments.
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