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Title: Scaling the sublethal effects of methylmercury to yellow perchs population dynamics using adverse outcome pathway framework

Author
item DEBOFSKY, ABIGAIL - University Of Wisconsin
item KLINGER, REBEKAH - University Of Wisconsin
item MORA, FRANCISCO - University Of Wisconsin
item WALTZ, MARCUS - University Of Wisconsin
item Shepherd, Brian
item LARSON, JEREMY - University Of Wisconsin
item ANDERSON, DAVID - University Of Wisconsin
item YANG, LUOBIN - Idaho State University
item GOETZ, FREDERICK - National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
item BASU, NILADRI - McGill University - Canada
item HEAD, JESSICA - McGill University - Canada
item TONELLATO, PETER - University Of Wisconsin
item MURPHY, CHERYL - Michigan State University
item CARVAN, MICHAEL - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/10/2015
Publication Date: 11/1/2015
Citation: Debofsky, A.R., Klinger, R., Mora, F.X., Waltz, M., Shepherd, B.S., Larson, J., Anderson, D., Yang, L., Goetz, F., Basu, N., Head, J., Tonellato, P., Murphy, C., Carvan, M.J. 2015. Scaling the sublethal effects of methylmercury to yellow perchs population dynamics using adverse outcome pathway framework [abstract]. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Abstracts. Poster No. RP081.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This study sought to evaluate the effects of environmentally relevant dietary MeHg exposures on adult female yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) reproduction. Yellow perch were used in the study for their socioeconomic and ecological importance within the Great Lakes basin, and the use of zebrafish allowed for a detailed analysis of the molecular effects of MeHg following a whole life-cycle exposure. These zebrafish exposures better mimic realistic wildlife exposure scenarios, and the twenty-week adult yellow perch exposure (where whole life-cycle exposures are difficult) captures early seasonal ovarian development. In zebrafish, several genes involved in reproductive processes were shown to be dysregulated by RNA-seq and QPCR, but no significant phenotypic changes were observed with ovarian staging, fecundity, or embryo mortality. Yellow perch did not appear to be affected by MeHg at the molecular level, as assessed by QPCR of eight genes expressed in the pituitary, liver, and ovary. Unfortunately, a lack of genomic resources in yellow perch hinders the characterization of any subtle molecular impacts. The ovarian somatic index, circulating estradiol, and ovarian staging were not significantly altered by MeHg exposure in yellow perch. These results suggest that environmentally relevant MeHg exposures do not drastically reduce the spawning capacity of these fish, but to capture realistic exposure scenarios, whole life-cycle yellow perch exposures are needed.