Transcriptome analysis of medaka (Oryzias latipes) exposed to tributyltin

Tributyltin is an organotin compound that disrupts the endocrine system of aquatic organisms, and its obesogenic toxicity to various species is well known. However, the mechanism of TBT to disrupt the endocrine system is not well known. Therefore, to investigate the effects caused by TBT in fish, we exposed tributyltin to juvenile medaka (Oryzias latipes) and analyzed the gene expression changes using mRNA-Seq. As a result of mRNA-Seq analysis, it was cleared that toxicity related genes, such as cytochrome P450 superfamily genes connected to hormonal metabolism, and proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway genes related with obesity, were significantly affected by TBT. Our results of mRNA-seq analysis simultaneously demonstrated the mechanisms of TBT toxicity in TBT exposed medaka. mRNA-Seq could be a strong tool to investigate and clear the toxic effects caused by pollutants.

三丁基锡（Tributyltin, TBT）是一类有机锡化合物，可干扰水生生物的内分泌系统，其对多种物种的致肥胖毒性已被广泛证实。然而，当前学界对TBT破坏内分泌系统的具体分子机制仍缺乏清晰认知。为此，本研究旨在探究TBT对鱼类的毒性效应，对幼年青鳉（Oryzias latipes）开展三丁基锡暴露处理，并采用mRNA-Seq技术分析其基因表达变化。经mRNA-Seq分析明确，与毒性相关的基因显著受TBT调控，其中涵盖参与激素代谢的细胞色素P450超家族基因，以及与肥胖相关的过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体信号通路基因。本研究的mRNA-Seq分析结果同时阐明了暴露于TBT的青鳉体内TBT毒性的作用机制。mRNA-Seq可作为探究并阐明污染物所致毒性效应的有力工具。