Effect of chronic exposure to tributyltin chloride (TBT-Cl) on the microbial communities of zebrafish intestines.

We performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing of bacterial communities in the zebrafish intestinal and rearing water exposed to three different concentrations of TBT-Cl in water. The highest concentration stimulated zebrafish adiposity and inhibited somatic growth, and the lower two concentrations did not. Our goal in this study was to determine if the phenotype observed in juvenile fishes was mediated by an alteration of their intestinal microbiota. Our study consisted of three experimental designs: exposure of conventionally-reared larval and juvenile fish to TBT-Cl in water; exposure of conventionally reared larval and juvenile fish to individual bacterial strains; and in vitro exposure of intestinal bacterial communities obtained from larval and juvenile zebrafish intestines to TBT-Cl.