Effects of methylmercury on epigenetic markers in three model species: Mink,chicken and yellow perch |
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| Authors: | Niladri Basu Jessica Head Dong-Ha Nam J Richard Pilsner Michael J Carvan Hing Man Chan Frederick W Goetz Cheryl A Murphy Kirsti Rouvinen-Watt Anton M Scheuhammer |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;2. Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystem Research, University of Michigan, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;3. Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro Bukgu, Gwangju, 500-757, South Korea;4. Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts—Amherst, 686 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA;5. Great Lakes Wisconsin Aquaculture Technology and Environmental Research (WATER) Institute, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee, 600 E. Greenfield Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USA;6. Center for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics (CAREG), University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5;g Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, 2725 Montlake Blvd East, Seattle, WA 98112, USA;h Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, 480 Wilson Rd, Lansing, MI 48824, USA;i Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, PO Box 550, Truro, NS, Canada B2N 5E3;j National Wildlife Research Center, Environment Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0H3 |
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| Abstract: | We previously reported that methylmercury (MeHg) exposure is associated with DNA hypomethylation in the brain stem of male polar bears. Here, we conveniently use archived tissues obtained from controlled laboratory exposure studies to look for evidence that MeHg can disrupt DNA methylation across taxa. Brain (cerebrum) tissues from MeHg-exposed mink (Neovison vison), chicken (Gallus gallus) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) were analyzed for total Hg levels and global DNA methylation. Tissues from chicken and mink, but not perch, were also analyzed for DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity. In mink we observed significant reductions in global DNA methylation in an environmentally-relevant dietary exposure group (1 ppm MeHg), but not in a higher group (2 ppm MeHg). DNMT activity was significantly reduced in all treatment groups. In chicken or yellow perch, no statistically significant effects of MeHg were observed. Dose-dependent trends were observed in the chicken data but the direction of the change was not consistent between the two endpoints. Our results suggest that MeHg can be epigenetically active in that it has the capacity to affect DNA methylation in mammals. The variability in results across species may suggest inter-taxa differences in epigenetic responses to MeHg, or may be related to differences among the exposure scenarios used as animals were exposed to MeHg through different routes (dietary, egg injection), for different periods of time (19–89 days) and at different life stages (embryonic, juvenile, adult). |
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| Keywords: | Mercury Ecotoxicology Wildlife Environmental epigenetics DNA methylation |
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