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Ayobahan SU, Alvincz J, Reinwald H, Strompen J, Salinas G, Schäfers C, Eilebrecht E, Eilebrecht S. Comprehensive identification of gene expression fingerprints and biomarkers of sexual endocrine disruption in zebrafish embryo. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2023; 250:114514. [PMID: 36608563 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine disruptors (EDs), capable of modulating the sex hormone system of an organism, can exert long-lasting negative effects on reproduction in both humans and the environment. For these reasons, the properties of EDs prevent a substance from being approved for marketing. However, regulatory testing to evaluate endocrine disruption is time-consuming, costly, and animal-intensive. Here, we combined sublethal zebrafish embryo assays with transcriptomics and proteomics for well-characterized endocrine disrupting reference compounds to identify predictive biomarkers for sexual endocrine disruption in this model. Using RNA and protein gene expression fingerprints from two different sublethal exposure concentrations, we identified specific signatures and impaired biological processes induced by ethinylestradiol, tamoxifen, methyltestosterone and flutamide 96 h post fertilization (hpf). Our study promotes vtg1 as well as cyp19a1b, fam20cl, lhb, lpin1, nr1d1, fbp1b, and agxtb as promising biomarker candidates for identifying and differentiating estrogen and androgen receptor agonism and antagonism. Evaluation of these biomarkers for pre-regulatory zebrafish embryo-based bioassays will help identify endocrine disrupting hazards of compounds at the molecular level. Such approaches additionally provide weight-of-evidence for the identification of putative EDs and may contribute significantly to a reduction in animal testing in higher tier studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve U Ayobahan
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Julia Alvincz
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Hannes Reinwald
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany; Department Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Faculty Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jannis Strompen
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Gabriela Salinas
- NGS-Services for Integrative Genomics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Schäfers
- Department of Ecotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Elke Eilebrecht
- Department of Ecotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Eilebrecht
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany.
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Reinwald H, Alvincz J, Salinas G, Schäfers C, Hollert H, Eilebrecht S. Toxicogenomic profiling after sublethal exposure to nerve- and muscle-targeting insecticides reveals cardiac and neuronal developmental effects in zebrafish embryos. Chemosphere 2022; 291:132746. [PMID: 34748799 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
For specific primary modes of action (MoA) in environmental non-target organisms, EU legislation restricts the usage of active substances of pesticides or biocides. Corresponding regulatory hazard assessments are costly, time consuming and require large numbers of non-human animal studies. Currently, predictive toxicology of development compounds relies on their chemical structure and provides little insights into toxicity mechanisms that precede adverse effects. Using the zebrafish embryo model, we characterized transcriptomic responses to a range of sublethal concentrations of six nerve- and muscle-targeting insecticides with different MoA (abamectin, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, fipronil, imidacloprid & methoxychlor). Our aim was to identify affected biological processes and suitable biomarker candidates for MoA-specific signatures. Abamectin showed the most divergent signature among the tested insecticides, linked to lipid metabolic processes. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after imidacloprid exposure were primarily associated with immune system and inflammation. In total, 222 early responsive genes to either MoA were identified, many related to three major processes: (1) cardiac muscle cell development and functioning (tcap, desma, bag3, hspb1, hspb8, flnca, myoz3a, mybpc2b, actc2, tnnt2c), (2) oxygen transport and hypoxic stress (alas2, hbbe1.1, hbbe1.3, hbbe2, hbae3, igfbp1a, hif1al) and (3) neuronal development and plasticity (npas4a, egr1, btg2, ier2a, vgf). The thyroidal function related gene dio3b was upregulated by chlorpyrifos and downregulated by higher abamectin concentrations. Important regulatory genes for cardiac muscle (tcap) and forebrain development (npas4a) were the most frequently ifferentially expressed across all insecticide treatments. We consider the identified gene sets as useful early warning biomarker candidates, i.e. for developmental toxicity targeting heart and brain in aquatic vertebrates. Our findings provide a better understanding about early molecular events in response to the analyzed MoA. Perceptively, this promotes the development for sensitive and informative biomarker-based in vitro assays for toxicological MoA prediction and AOP refinement, without the suffering of adult fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Reinwald
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany; Department Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Faculty Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julia Alvincz
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Gabriela Salinas
- NGS-Services for Integrative Genomics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Schäfers
- Department of Ecotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Henner Hollert
- Department Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Faculty Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sebastian Eilebrecht
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany.
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Feller FM, Eilebrecht S, Nedielkov R, Yücel O, Alvincz J, Salinas G, Ludwig KC, Möller H, Philipp B. Investigations on the Degradation of the Bile Salt Cholate via the 9,10- Seco-Pathway Reveals the Formation of a Novel Recalcitrant Steroid Compound by a Side Reaction in Sphingobium sp. Strain Chol11. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9102146. [PMID: 34683472 PMCID: PMC8540908 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Bile salts such as cholate are steroid compounds from the digestive tracts of vertebrates, which enter the environment upon excretion, e.g., in manure. Environmental bacteria degrade bile salts aerobically via two pathway variants involving intermediates with Δ1,4- or Δ4,6-3-keto-structures of the steroid skeleton. Recent studies indicated that degradation of bile salts via Δ4,6-3-keto intermediates in Sphingobium sp. strain Chol11 proceeds via 9,10-seco cleavage of the steroid skeleton. For further elucidation, the presumptive product of this cleavage, 3,12β-dihydroxy-9,10-seco-androsta-1,3,5(10),6-tetraene-9,17-dione (DHSATD), was provided to strain Chol11 in a co-culture approach with Pseudomonas stutzeri Chol1 and as purified substrate. Strain Chol11 converted DHSATD to the so far unknown compound 4-methyl-3-deoxy-1,9,12-trihydroxyestra-1,3,5(10)7-tetraene-6,17-dione (MDTETD), presumably in a side reaction involving an unusual ring closure. MDTETD was neither degraded by strains Chol1 and Chol11 nor in enrichment cultures. Functional transcriptome profiling of zebrafish embryos after exposure to MDTETD identified a significant overrepresentation of genes linked to hormone responses. In both pathway variants, steroid degradation intermediates transiently accumulate in supernatants of laboratory cultures. Soil slurry experiments indicated that bacteria using both pathway variants were active and also released their respective intermediates into the environment. This instance could enable the formation of recalcitrant steroid metabolites by interspecies cross-feeding in agricultural soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Maria Feller
- Institute for Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Corrensstr. 3, 48149 Münster, Germany; (F.M.F.); (O.Y.); (K.C.L.)
| | - Sebastian Eilebrecht
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco’n’OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany; (S.E.); (J.A.)
| | - Ruslan Nedielkov
- Institute for Chemistry, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (R.N.); (H.M.)
| | - Onur Yücel
- Institute for Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Corrensstr. 3, 48149 Münster, Germany; (F.M.F.); (O.Y.); (K.C.L.)
| | - Julia Alvincz
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco’n’OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany; (S.E.); (J.A.)
| | - Gabriela Salinas
- NGS-Services for Integrative Genomics, Institute for Human Genetics, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany;
| | - Kevin Christopher Ludwig
- Institute for Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Corrensstr. 3, 48149 Münster, Germany; (F.M.F.); (O.Y.); (K.C.L.)
| | - Heiko Möller
- Institute for Chemistry, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; (R.N.); (H.M.)
| | - Bodo Philipp
- Institute for Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Corrensstr. 3, 48149 Münster, Germany; (F.M.F.); (O.Y.); (K.C.L.)
- Department for Environmental Microbiology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-251-8339827; Fax: +49-251-8338388
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Pfaff J, Reinwald H, Ayobahan SU, Alvincz J, Göckener B, Shomroni O, Salinas G, Düring RA, Schäfers C, Eilebrecht S. Toxicogenomic differentiation of functional responses to fipronil and imidacloprid in Daphnia magna. Aquat Toxicol 2021; 238:105927. [PMID: 34340001 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Active substances of pesticides, biocides or pharmaceuticals can induce adverse side effects in the aquatic ecosystem, necessitating environmental hazard and risk assessment prior to substance registration. The freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna is a model organism for acute and chronic toxicity assessment representing aquatic invertebrates. However, standardized tests involving daphnia are restricted to the endpoints immobility and reproduction and thus provide only limited insights into the underlying modes-of-action. Here, we applied transcriptome profiling to a modified D. magna Acute Immobilization test to analyze and compare gene expression profiles induced by the GABA-gated chloride channel blocker fipronil and the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist imidacloprid. Daphnids were expose to two low effect concentrations of each substance followed by RNA sequencing and functional classification of affected gene ontologies and pathways. For both insecticides, we observed a concentration-dependent increase in the number of differentially expressed genes, whose expression changes were highly significantly positively correlated when comparing both test concentrations. These gene expression fingerprints showed virtually no overlap between the test substances and they related well to previous data of diazepam and carbaryl, two substances targeting similar molecular key events. While, based on our results, fipronil predominantly interfered with molecular functions involved in ATPase-coupled transmembrane transport and transcription regulation, imidacloprid primarily affected oxidase and oxidoreductase activity. These findings provide evidence that systems biology approaches can be utilized to identify and differentiate modes-of-action of chemical stressors in D. magna as an invertebrate aquatic non-target organism. The mechanistic knowledge extracted from such data will in future contribute to the development of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) for read-across and prediction of population effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Pfaff
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany; Institute of Soil Science and Soil Conservation, Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition (iFZ), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Hannes Reinwald
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany; Department Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Faculty Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Steve U Ayobahan
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Julia Alvincz
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Bernd Göckener
- Department Environmental and Food Analysis, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Orr Shomroni
- NGS-Services for Integrative Genomics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gabriela Salinas
- NGS-Services for Integrative Genomics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rolf-Alexander Düring
- Institute of Soil Science and Soil Conservation, Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition (iFZ), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Christoph Schäfers
- Department of Ecotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Eilebrecht
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany.
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Reinwald H, König A, Ayobahan SU, Alvincz J, Sipos L, Göckener B, Böhle G, Shomroni O, Hollert H, Salinas G, Schäfers C, Eilebrecht E, Eilebrecht S. Toxicogenomic fin(ger)prints for thyroid disruption AOP refinement and biomarker identification in zebrafish embryos. Sci Total Environ 2021; 760:143914. [PMID: 33333401 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine disruption (ED) can trigger far-reaching effects on environmental populations, justifying a refusal of market approval for chemicals with ED properties. For the hazard assessment of ED effects on the thyroid system, regulatory decisions mostly rely on amphibian studies. Here, we used transcriptomics and proteomics for identifying molecular signatures of interference with thyroid hormone signaling preceding physiological effects in zebrafish embryos. For this, we analyzed the thyroid hormone 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T3) and the thyroid peroxidase inhibitor 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (6-PTU) as model substances for increased and repressed thyroid hormone signaling in a modified zebrafish embryo toxicity test. We identified consistent gene expression fingerprints for both modes-of-action (MoA) at sublethal test concentrations. T3 and 6-PTU both significantly target the expression of genes involved in muscle contraction and functioning in an opposing fashion, allowing for a mechanistic refinement of key event relationships in thyroid-related adverse outcome pathways in fish. Furthermore, our fingerprints identify biomarker candidates for thyroid disruption hazard screening approaches. Perspectively, our findings will promote the AOP-based development of in vitro assays for thyroidal ED assessment, which in the long term will contribute to a reduction of regulatory animal tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Reinwald
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany; Department Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Faculty Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Azora König
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Steve U Ayobahan
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Julia Alvincz
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Levente Sipos
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Bernd Göckener
- Department Environmental and Food Analysis, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Gisela Böhle
- Department Ecotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Orr Shomroni
- NGS-Services for Integrative Genomics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Henner Hollert
- Department Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Faculty Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gabriela Salinas
- NGS-Services for Integrative Genomics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Schäfers
- Department Ecotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Elke Eilebrecht
- Department Ecotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Eilebrecht
- Fraunhofer Attract Eco'n'OMICs, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, Germany.
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