Identification of genes that respond to the hormone estradiol in oysters of the genus Crassostrea cultivated in Brazil.

The increasing presence of contaminants of anthropogenic origin in aquatic environments represents challenges. Membrane or nuclear receptors are often targets of xenobiotic compounds and can trigger intracellular responses that can modulate the expression of genes crucial for metabolism and development. Identifying what these molecules are in non-model species is a major challenge, as mechanistic information is scarce. In this work, we will seek to collect transcriptomic data of farmed oyster species with the purpose of understanding the interactions between the endocrine disruptor estradiol and its target molecules, in species of the genus Crassostrea. The target species are C. gigas, the most cultivated in Brazil and in the world; and also C.gasar and C. rhizophorae, native to the Brazilian coast. This hormone, although not produced by oysters, accumulates in various tissues and is considered a contaminant present in farming waters. Being a potential endocrine disruptor, it also presents a risk to human consumption and other species, if the excretion system is insufficient. Through transcriptomic analyses, target genes responsive to estradiol will be mapped. This study becomes relevant, not only for generating data for the basic biology of molluscs, the response pathways to steroids, but also for the environmental biomonitoring of endocrine disruptors, revealing response and signaling pathways that may be useful for future ecotoxicological studies. and for the safe development of the aquaculture.