Acute exposure mRNA expression analysis

To fully assess the impacts of Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil on the vertebrate stress response and the trajectory for recovery, our research integrated molecular, cellular, gland/organ and whole animal physiological and behavioral studies using a benthic marine teleost, the Gulf toadfish, a resident of the Gulf of Mexico. These studies evaluated multiple pathways (e.g., pituitary fatigue, reduced receptor sensitivity, disruption or overstimulation of cortisol biosynthesis) and the consequence of these changes at the whole animal level (e.g., changes in carbohydrate metabolism, immune capacity and responses to natural stresses such as predation and social interaction). In this series of experiments, mRNA expression of various genes found within the hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis (i.e., the hypothalamus-POA region, pituitary, head kidney) was evaluated during short-term exposures to DWH oil. Each exposure was followed by a complementary recovery period (i.e., no oil or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure) to assess the recovery trajectory. These experiments were completed at Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), University of Miami, Marine Technology & Life Sciences Seawater Complex (MTLSS) Building, room 211 between January 2018 to December 2018.