PUBLICATION

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Independent Toxicity of Weathered Crude Oil during Fish Development

Authors
Incardona, J.P., Carls, M.G., Teraoka, H., Sloan, C.A., Collier, T.K., and Scholz, N.L.
ID
ZDB-PUB-051214-14
Date
2005
Source
Environmental health perspectives   113(12): 1755-1762 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Incardona, John P., Scholz, Nat, Teraoka, Hiroki
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Abnormalities, Multiple/chemically induced
  • Abnormalities, Multiple/veterinary*
  • Animals
  • Body Patterning/drug effects
  • Cardiovascular System/drug effects
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/drug effects
  • Fish Diseases/chemically induced*
  • Fish Diseases/embryology*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence/veterinary
  • Oligonucleotides
  • Petroleum/analysis
  • Petroleum/toxicity*
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/analysis
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/toxicity*
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/genetics
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/metabolism
  • Zebrafish*
PubMed
16330359 Full text @ Environ. Health Perspect.
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), derived largely from fossil fuels and their combustion, are pervasive contaminants in rivers, lakes, and nearshore marine habitats. Studies after the Exxon Valdez oil spill demonstrated that fish embryos exposed to low levels of PAHs in weathered crude oil develop a syndrome of edema and craniofacial and body axis defects. Although mechanisms leading to these defects are poorly understood, it is widely held that PAH toxicity is linked to aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) binding and cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) induction. Using zebrafish embryos, we show that the weathered crude oil syndrome is distinct from the well-characterized AhR-dependent effects of dioxin toxicity. Blockade of AhR pathway components with antisense morpholino oligonucleotides demonstrated that the key developmental defects induced by weathered crude oil exposure are mediated by low-molecular-weight tricyclic PAHs through AhR-independent disruption of cardiovascular function and morphogenesis. These findings have multiple implications for the assessment of PAH impacts on coastal habitats. Key words: cardiovascular function, fish development, non-point source pollution, oil spill.
Genes / Markers
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Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping