Elucidating mechanisms of perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) exposure in larval zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) is a short-chain polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) that is measurable in fish tissues and environmental matrices. Previous studies suggest that there are adverse effects on animal and human health following exposure to PFBA, however the mechanisms underlying the toxicity are not well characterized. This study measured biological responses (developmental, transcriptome, and behavioral responses) of zebrafish (wild-type AB strain, Danio rerio) following exposure to a range of PFBA concentrations (0.1-100 µl/L). To further elucidate putative mechanisms related to locomotor abnormalities by PFBA, RNA-seq was conducted. These data shed new mechanistic light onto the sublethal effects of lesser studied short chain perfluorinated chemicals. For RNA-seq experiments, Samples were collected following the 7-day exposure, transferred to a labeled and pre-weighed 1.7 mL tube. The tube was then immediately flash frozen in liquid nitrogen prior to RNA-seq analysis. A total of 16 RNA samples were used for RNA-seq library construction (RINs>7) (Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer, Agilent Technologies, Inc.). Exposure groups included 4 treatments: DMSO control (n=4), 0.1 ug/L PFBA (n=3), 1 ug/L PFBA (n=4) and 10 ug/L PFBA (n=5).