The effects of permethrin on the transcriptome of an endangered fish, the delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus)

Research on the effects of contaminants on fishes is often conducted on well-studied model test species, whose responses may be different than those of species of conservation concern. We used an oligonucleotide microarray to examine the effects of permethrin, a widely used pyrethroid pesticide, on a critically endangered fish species endemic to Northern California, the delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus). These results demonstrate the effects of a widely used pesticide on a sensitive fish species at concentrations below those that affect model test species. Twenty samples were run on twenty arrays, there were four replicates for each of four permethrin exposure concentrations and a control group.