Molecular and Genetic Ecotoxicologic Approaches to Aquatic Environmental Bioreporting

Molecular and population genetic ecotoxicologic approaches are being developed for the utilization of arthropods as bioreporters of heavy metal mixtures in the environment. The explosion of knowledge in molecular biology, molecular genetics, and biotechnology provides an unparalleled opportunity to...

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Published in:	Environmental health perspectives Vol. 106; no. Suppl 6; pp. 1395 - 1407
Main Authors:	Beaty, Barry J., Black, William C., Carlson, Jonathan O., Clements, William H., Nancy Du Teau, Elizabeth Harrahy, Jay Nuckols, Olson, Kenneth E., Rayms-Keller, Alfredo
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. National Institutes of Health. Department of Health, Education and Welfare 01-12-1998
Subjects:	Aedes Animals Arthropoda Arthropods Baetis tricaudatus Biomarkers Chironomidae Chironomus tentans Complementary DNA DNA - analysis DNA - genetics Ecological and Engineering Advances on Chemical Mixtures Environmental Monitoring - methods Gels Genes Genetic diversity Genetic Variation Genomic Library Haplotypes Heavy metals Insect genetics Luciferases - metabolism Medical genetics Molecular Biology Molecular genetics Plasmids Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational Population Population genetics Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity USA, Arkansas R USA, California
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Summary:	Molecular and population genetic ecotoxicologic approaches are being developed for the utilization of arthropods as bioreporters of heavy metal mixtures in the environment. The explosion of knowledge in molecular biology, molecular genetics, and biotechnology provides an unparalleled opportunity to use arthropods as bioreporter organisms. Interspecific differences in aquatic arthropod populations have been previously demonstrated in response to heavy metal insult in the Arkansas River (AR) California Gulch Superfund site (CGSS). Population genetic analyses were conducted on the mayfly Baetis tricaudatus. Genetic polymorphisms were detected in polymerase chain reaction amplified 16S mitochondrial rDNA (a selectively neutral gene) of B. tricaudatus using single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. Genetic differences may have resulted from impediments to gene flow in the population caused by mortality arising from exposure to heavy metal mixture pollution. In laboratory studies a candidate metal-responsive mucinlike gene, which is metal and dose specific, has been identified in Chironomus tentans and other potential AR-CGSS bioreporter species. Population genetic analyses using the mucinlike gene may provide insight into the role of this selectable gene in determining the breeding structure of B. tricaudatus in the AR-CGSS and may provide mechanistic insight into determinants of aquatic arthropod response to heavy metal insult. Metal-responsive (MR) genes and regulatory sequences are being isolated, characterized, and assayed for differential gene expression in response to heavy metal mixture pollution in the AR-CGSS. Identified promoter sequences can then be engineered into previously developed MR constructs to provide sensitive in vitro assays for environmental bioreporting of heavy metal mixtures. The results of the population genetic studies are being entered into an AR geographic information system that contains substantial biological, chemical, and geophysical information Integrated spatial, structural, and temporal analyses of these parameters will provide invaluable information concerning environmental determinants that restrict or promote gene flow in bioreporter populations.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23
ISSN:	0091-6765 1552-9924
DOI:	10.1289/ehp.98106s61395