Subtle effects of radiation on embryo development of the 3-spined stickleback

Following serious accidents at the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants in 1986 and 2011 respectively, local flora and fauna have been chronically exposed to environmental radiation for many years . However, little is known about the environmental effects of low doses of radiation on aquatic organisms. The present study assesses the effect of an environmentally relevant dose range of radiation (Control: 0, Low (L): 0.1, Medium (M): 1 and High (H): 10 mGy/day) of waterborne 32P on early life stages of the 3-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. Here we assess the global effects on gene regulation on the embryo development of fish suffering from differing levels of environmental radiation to identify significantly altered transcriptional networks as a result of sustained radiation exposure.