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Vertebrate endocrine disruptors induce sex-reversal in blue mussels

K. Garrett Evensen, Emily Rusin, William E. Robinson, Claire Price Orcid Logo, Steven Kelly, David Lamb Orcid Logo, Jared V. Goldstone, Helen C. Poynton

Scientific Reports, Volume: 14, Issue: 1, Start page: 23890

Swansea University Authors: Claire Price Orcid Logo, Steven Kelly, David Lamb Orcid Logo

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Abstract

Mollusks are the second most diverse animal phylum, yet little is known about their endocrinology or how they respond to endocrine disrupting compound (EDC) pollution. Characteristic effects of endocrine disruption are reproductive impairment, skewed sex ratios, development of opposite sex character...

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Published in: Scientific Reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2024
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67973
Abstract: Mollusks are the second most diverse animal phylum, yet little is known about their endocrinology or how they respond to endocrine disrupting compound (EDC) pollution. Characteristic effects of endocrine disruption are reproductive impairment, skewed sex ratios, development of opposite sex characteristics, and population decline. However, whether classical vertebrate EDCs, such as steroid hormone-like chemicals and inhibitors of steroidogenesis, exert effects on mollusks is controversial. In the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, EDC exposure is correlated with feminized sex ratios in wild and laboratory mussels, but sex reversal has not been confirmed. Here, we describe a non-destructive qPCR assay to identify the sex of M. edulis allowing identification of males and females prior to experimentation. We exposed male mussels to 17α-ethinylestradiol and female mussels to ketoconazole, EDCs that mimic vertebrate steroid hormones or inhibit their biosynthesis. Both chemicals changed the sex of individual mussels, interfered with gonadal development, and disrupted gene expression of the sex differentiation pathway. Impacts from ketoconazole treatment, including changes in steroid levels, confirmed a role for steroidogenesis and steroid-like hormones in mollusk endocrinology. The present study expands the possibilities for laboratory and field monitoring of mollusk species and provides key insights into endocrine disruption and sexual differentiation in bivalves.
Keywords: 17α-ethinylestradiol, Ketoconazole, Steroids, Mytilus edulis, Gonadal development, Sex differentiation
College: Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
Funders: This work was supported by the US National Science Foundation (NSF BIO-IOS 2122449). Funding at Swansea University supported by the European Regional Development Fund/ Welsh European Funding Office via the BEACON project (SLK).
Issue: 1
Start Page: 23890