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Assessment of Gene Expression Biomarkers in the Chilean Pencil Catfish, Trichomycterus areolatus, from the Choapa River Basin, Coquimbo Chile

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to describe changes in the gene expression in the Chilean catfish, Trichomycterus areolatus, based on their geographic location within the Choapa River. Genes of choice included those that are biomarkers of exposure to metals, oxidative stress, and endocrine disruption. Male and female T. areolatus were sampled from four sites in January 2015 differently impacted by human activities. In males, but not females, hepatic gene expression of heat shock protein (HSP70) and cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) were significantly elevated at the site adjacent to the small city of Salamanca, relative to the other sites. In females, hepatic HSP70, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), and the estrogen responsive genes, vitellogenin (VTG) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), were significantly lower at the site located furthest downstream. A similar downstream pattern of lower expression levels also was found in ovarian tissue for the genes, HSP70 and ERα. Gill gene expression showed a unique pattern in females as levels of metallothionein were elevated at the site furthest downstream. While analytical chemistry of water samples provided limited evidence of agrichemical contamination, the gene expression data are consistent with an exposure to agrichemicals and metals. T. areolatus may be a valuable sentinel organism and its use as a bioindicator species in some rivers within Chile can provide considerable insight, particularly in situations analytical chemistry is limited by environmental constraints.

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Acknowledgements

This project and J. Ali were partially supported by the Robert G. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute’s Graduate Assistantship Program, University of Nebraska and by the College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center. Partial support for one of the coauthors (JA) was provided by the UNMC College of Public Health 2015 Summer Fellowship Program for Global Health Engagement and Research. L. Allmon was partially supported the by University of Nebraska at Omaha Fund for Undergraduate Scholarly Experiences (FUSE) grant. The use of specific reagents or brand names does not constitute an endorsement of these products by the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska - Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-6805, USA

    Jonathan M. Ali

  2. Departamento de Biología, Universidad de La Serena, Raúl Bitrán 1305, La Serena, Chile

    Angela Montecinos, Angéline Bertin & Nicolas Gouin

  3. Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, 68182-0040, USA

    Thomas T. Schulze, Luke G. Allmon, Alex T. Kallenbach, Gabrielle F. Watson & Paul H. Davis

  4. School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0844, USA

    Daniel D. Snow

  5. Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Aridas (CEAZA), Raúl Bitrán 1305, La Serena, Chile

    Nicolas Gouin

  6. Instituto de Investigación Multidisciplinar en Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile

    Nicolas Gouin

  7. Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 3002, Moscow, ID, 83844-3002, USA

    Alan S. Kolok

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  1. Jonathan M. Ali
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Correspondence to Alan S. Kolok.

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Ali, J.M., Montecinos, A., Schulze, T.T. et al. Assessment of Gene Expression Biomarkers in the Chilean Pencil Catfish, Trichomycterus areolatus, from the Choapa River Basin, Coquimbo Chile. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 78, 137–148 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-019-00678-x

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