A real-time PCR assay for differential expression of vitellogenin I and II genes in the liver of the sentinel fish species Lipophrys pholis

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

Ferreira, F (Author) Other; Monteiro, NM (Author) FCUP; Vieira, MN (Author) FCUP; Reis Henriques, MA (Author) Other; Filipe F C Castro (Author) FCUP; Santos, MM (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Toxicology Mechanisms And Methods

Vol. 23

Pages: 591-597

ISSN: 1537-6516

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 3 Citations

Scopus - 3 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-006-6PJ

DOI: 10.3109/15376516.2013.809620

Abstract (EN): The recent advances in molecular biology techniques have prompted the use of vitellogenin (VTG) gene expression as a sensitive and reliable indicator of estrogenic chemicals (EC) exposure. However, data on the dynamic response of the different VTGs genes upon EC exposure is still poorly understood, particularly in sentinel fish species used in field monitoring studies. Hence, the present study aimed at developing a sensitive real-time PCR assay for determining the response of VTG I and II in the recently proposed marine sentinel species Lipophrys pholis upon exposure to the model EC 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2). The findings of the laboratory study indicate that L. pholis VTG I proved to be not only more inducible but also more sensitive to EE2 exposure than VTG II, for the same range of concentrations. In fact, VTG I gene induction was 475-fold higher than VTG II at 15 ng/L EE2, and 13-fold at 5 ng/L EE2. Overall, the findings of the present study indicate that in the field, expression of VTG I in L. pholis should be preferentially used in the screening of EC exposure because of its higher sensitivity. Furthermore, the present study favors L. pholis integration in monitoring programs associated with EC's pollution within the European water policy legislation.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7