PUBLICATION
Gene expression analysis in zebrafish embryos: a potential approach to predict effect concentrations in the fish early life stage test
- Authors
- Weil, M., Scholz, S., Zimmer, M., Sacher, F., and Duis, K.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-090505-6
- Date
- 2009
- Source
- Environmental toxicology and chemistry 28(9): 1970-1978 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Duis, Karen
- Keywords
- Replacement method, Chronic toxicity, Gene expression, Reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction, Danio rerio
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Gene Expression/drug effects
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Zebrafish/embryology*
- Zebrafish/metabolism
- PubMed
- 19402758 Full text @ Environ. Toxicol. Chem.
Citation
Weil, M., Scholz, S., Zimmer, M., Sacher, F., and Duis, K. (2009) Gene expression analysis in zebrafish embryos: a potential approach to predict effect concentrations in the fish early life stage test. Environmental toxicology and chemistry. 28(9):1970-1978.
Abstract
Based on the hypothesis that analysis of gene expression could be used to predict chronic fish toxicity, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo test (DarT), developed as a replacement method for the acute fish test, was expanded to a gene expression Danio rerio embryo test (Gene-DarT). The effects of 14 substances on lethal and sublethal endpoints of the DarT and on expression of potential marker genes were investigated: the aryl hydrocarbon receptor 2 (ahr2), cytochrome P450 1A (cyp1a), heatshock protein 70 (hsp70), fizzy related protein 1 (fzr1), the transcription factors mafg1 and nfe212 and heme oxygenase 1 (hmox1). After exposure of zebrafish embryos for 48 h, differential gene expression was evaluated using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), gel electrophoresis and densitometric analysis of the gels. All tested compounds significantly affected the expression of at least one potential marker gene with cyp1a and hmox1 being most sensitive. Lowest observed effect concentrations (LOECs) for gene expression were below LC10-values derived with the DarT. For 10 out of the 14 tested substances (3,4- and 3,5-dichloroaniline, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, 2,4-dinitrophenol, atrazine, parathion-ethyl, chlorotoluron, genistein, 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide and cadmium) LOEC-values derived with the Gene-DarT differ by a factor of <10 from LOEC-values of fish early life stage tests with zebrafish. For pentachloroaniline and pentachlorobenzene, Gene-DarT showed a 23 and 153fold higher sensitivity, respectively, while for lindane, it showed a 13fold lower sensitivity. For ivermectin, Gene-DarT was by a factor of >1000 less sensitive than the acute fish test. The results of the present study indicate that gene expression analysis in zebrafish embryos could principally be used to predict effect concentrations in the fish early life stage test.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping