Impacts of xenobiotics on crustacean molting: the invisible endocrine disruption

Aquatic pollution has led to the accumulation of various xenobioticsin crustaceans. A number of these environmental chemicals havebeen found to interfere with molting of crustaceans. Resultsof initial mechanistic studies with Uca pugilator suggest thatthe disruption of molting results from the disturbance to theY-organ-ecdysteroid receptor (EcR) axis by xenobiotics. Suchdisturbance to the Y-organ-EcR axis can be caused by interferencewith epidermal ecdysteroid signaling and/or alterations in ecdysteroidogenesisand/or ecdysteroid disposition. Because the adverse impactson crustacean molting cannot be readily seen in the wild, thedisruption of molting represents an invisible form of endocrinedisruption.