Data from: Transcriptomics and in vivo tests reveal novel mechanisms underlying endocrine disruption in an ecological sentinel, Nucella lapillus

Anthropogenic endocrine disruptors now contaminate all environments globally, with concomitant deleterious effects across diverse taxa. While most studies on endocrine disruption (ED) have focused on vertebrates, the superimposition of male sexual characteristics in the female dogwhelk, Nucella lapillus (imposex), caused by organotins, provides one of the most clearcut ecological examples of anthropogenically induced ED in aquatic ecosystems. To identify the underpinning mechanisms of imposex for this ‘nonmodel’ species, we combined Roche 454 pyrosequencing with custom oligoarray fabrication inexpensively to both generate gene models and identify those responding to chronic tributyltin (TBT) treatment. The results supported the involvement of steroid, neuroendocrine peptide hormone dysfunction and retinoid mechanisms, but suggested additionally the involvement of putative peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor (PPAR) pathways. Application of rosiglitazone, a well-known vertebrate PPARγ ligand, to dogwhelks induced imposex in the absence of TBT. Thus, while TBT-induced imposex is linked to the induction of many genes and has a complex phenotype, it is likely also to be driven by PPAR-responsive pathways, hitherto not described in invertebrates. Our findings provide further evidence for a common signalling pathway between invertebrate and vertebrate species that has previously been overlooked in the study of endocrine disruption.人为内分泌干扰物（endocrine disruptors）目前已污染全球所有环境，并对各类生物类群带来伴随性有害效应。尽管绝大多数内分泌干扰（ED）相关研究均聚焦于脊椎动物，但由有机锡化合物引发的雌性犬齿螺（Nucella lapillus）雄性性特征叠加现象（性畸变，imposex），是水生生态系统中人为诱导内分泌干扰的最明确生态学例证之一。为阐明该“非模式”物种性畸变的潜在机制，本研究结合罗氏454焦磷酸测序与低成本定制寡核苷酸芯片制备技术，既构建了基因模型，也筛选出了响应慢性三丁基锡（TBT）处理的基因。研究结果证实类固醇激素、神经内分泌肽激素功能异常以及类视黄醇通路的参与，同时还提示推定的过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体（PPAR）通路可能发挥作用。将罗格列酮——一种经典的脊椎动物PPARγ配体——施加于犬齿螺后，即使无三丁基锡存在，也可诱导性畸变发生。因此，尽管三丁基锡诱导的性畸变与大量基因的表达调控相关且表型复杂，但其潜在驱动机制可能还包括此前在无脊椎动物中未被报道的PPAR响应通路。本研究结果为无脊椎动物与脊椎动物间存在的保守信号通路提供了新证据，而该通路此前在内分泌干扰研究中被忽视。