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Ecotoxicogenomics to Support Ecological Risk Assessment: A Case Study with Bisphenol A in Fish
Citation:
VILLENEUVE, DAN, N. GARCIA-REYERO, B. L. ESCALON, K. M. JENSEN, J. E. CAVALLIN, E. A. MAKYNEN, E. J. DURHAN, M. D. KAHL, L. M. THOMAS, E. J. PERKINS, AND G. T. ANKLEY. Ecotoxicogenomics to Support Ecological Risk Assessment: A Case Study with Bisphenol A in Fish. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Indianapolis, IN, 46(1):51-59, (2012).
Impact/Purpose:
The present study addresses both a near-term Agency need for data to support an assessment of bisphenol A’s environmental and health impacts, and considers the broader application of new types of data in ecological risk assessment.
Description:
Toxicogenomic approaches are being increasingly applied in the field of ecotoxicology. Given the growing availability of ecotoxicogenomic data, the Agency and the broader scientific community are actively engaged in considering how best to use those data to support ecological risk assessments. The present study employs a case study which examined effects of bisphenol A on the ovarian transcriptome of two different fish species (fathead minnow and zebrafish) to examine some key questions related to the application of transcriptomic data in risk assessment. Specifically, we considered whether transcriptomic concentration-response data could be used to estimate hazard thresholds (e.g., based on a no observed transcriptional effect level; NOTEL). We also examined whether the profile of transcriptional response observed was conserved/reproducible among two commonly used laboratory fish models exposed under highly consistent conditions. The ability to elucidate highly conserved profiles of toxicogenomic response or pathway perturbation motifs is a critical assumption underlying potential applications of toxicogenomic data to exposure and/or hazard assessment. In addition to serving as a general case study to consider the utility of ecotoxicogenomic data in risk assessments, the study also reports significant novel data on bisphenol A, which was specifically identified as a chemical of particular concern within the Agency (see March 2010 Bisphenol A Action Plan). Compared with many of the previous studies conducted in fish, the present study considers a broader concentration range (spanning 5 orders of magnitude) than most. It also evaluates a broad range of molecular endpoints anchored to well understood biochemical markers of exposure to certain classes of endocrine active chemicals (e.g., plasma vitellogenin and sex steroid concentrations). Thus, the present study addresses both a near-term Agency need for data to support an assessment of bisphenol A’s environmental and health impacts, and considers the broader application of new types of data in ecological risk assessment.