Skin vitellogenin and estrogen receptor as sensitive biomarkers of estrogenicity in a sub-Antarctic fish, Patagonotothen tessellata (Perciformes, Notothenioidei).

AURELIANO, DR; FERREIRA, MF; FERNÁNDEZ, DANIEL A.; LO NOSTRO, F; GENOVESE, G

Conferencia; The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) 28th Annual Meeting; 2018

The fast expansion of socio-economic activities on coastal areas has increased thepresence of anthropogenic pollutants from industrial and domestic sources over thelast decades. Recent studies have reported the presence of many persistent organicpollutants in water, sediments and in vertebrates from Antarctic areas; however,information about their potential impact on fish physiology is still scarce. Thesouthernmost city of the world, Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina), and its baysare not the exception to the decline of the environmental quality. Notothenioid fishare the dominant group of the coastal icthyofauna of Antarctic and sub-Antarcticregions playing a key role in these ecosystems. The black southern cod,Patagonotothen tessellata is widespread in the Beagle Channel, lives in theintertidal zone, and possess paternal care. The aim of the present work is to validatevitellogenin (vtg) and estrogen receptor (Reα) as biomarkers of estrogenicity in skinsamples of this species in order to provide a helpful tool to develop and performperiodic biomonitoring in sub-Antarctic waters and evaluate environmental risk inplaces where contamination already exists. Male fish were injected with17β-estradiol (i.p, single dose of 10 mg/g or vehicle). Vitellogenic females wereused as positive controls. Samples of skin and liver were obtained to assess vtg andERα mRNA expression and physiological responses were studied through differentendpoints: histological analysis, vtg detection in plasma samples, and sex steroid vtg-ir bands similar to those of females. Likewise, plasma E2 concentration inmales was significantly increased but the opposite was observed in T levels. Thesechanges were also reflected in E2/T ratio. Furthermore, E2 levels in treated maleswere even higher than those of females. Vtg and ERα gene expression wasup-regulated both in liver and skin after E2 treatment. Potential impact in parentalbehavior is discussed. We conclude that vtg and ERα expression in skin aresensitive and non-harmful biomarkers of estrogenicity in this Sub-Antarctic fish.