Multigenerational shifts in liver molecular programming in rainbow trout raised from bisphenol A-laden eggs

Bisphenol A (BPA), a widely used chemical in the manufacture of plastics and epoxy resins, is prevalent in the aquatic environment and disrupts endocrine pathways in fish, but the long-term developmental implications are unknown. We demonstrate that BPA in eggs of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a commercially important species of fish with a long life-cycle, has the potential to reprogram liver metabolism in the offspring and alter the developmental growth phenotype in multiple generations. Specifically, BPA reduces growth during early development, followed by a catch-up growth and obesity phenotype in juveniles. More importantly, we observed a shift in the liver transcripts supporting the transient growth phenotypes observed in the F1 generation and this was also evident in the F2 generation. These results reveal that maternal and/or ancestral exposure to BPA in eggs has long-lasting and multigenerational impacts in trout, with implications on salmonid fisheries and sustainability of ecosystem health. Overall design: Liver of 48 individuals were sampled at 2 life stages in F1 and F2 generation after accumulation of bisphenol A (BPA) in the egg prior to fertilization