Geology topics

Catherine A. Richter

Publications and source records attributed to Catherine A. Richter.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

USGS2014

Atrazine reduces reproduction in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)

Atrazine is an effective broadleaf herbicide and the second most heavily used herbicide in the United States. Effects along the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonad axis in a number of vertebrate taxa have been demonstrated. Seasonally elevated concentrations of atrazine in surface waters may adversely affect fishes, but only a few studies have examined reproductive effects of this chemical. The present study was designed to evaluate a population endpoint (egg production) in conjunction with histological (reproductive stage, gonad pathology) and biochemical (aromatase activity, sex hormone production) phenotypes associated with atrazine exposure in Japanese medaka. Adult virgin breeding groups of one male and four females were exposed to nominal concentrations of 0, 0.5, 5.0, and 50 μg/L (0, 2.3, 23.2, 231 nM) of atrazine in a flow-through diluter for 14 or 38 days. Total egg production was lower (36–42%) in all atrazine-exposed groups as compared to the controls. The decreases in cumulative egg production of atrazine-treated fish were significant by exposure day 24. Reductions in total egg production in atrazine treatment groups were most attributable to a reduced number of eggs ovulated by females in atrazine-treated tanks. Additionally, males exposed to atrazine had a greater number of abnormal germ cells. There was no effect of atrazine on gonadosomatic index, aromatase protein, or whole body 17 β-estradiol or testosterone. Our results suggest that atrazine reduces egg production through alteration of final maturation of oocytes. The reduced egg production observed in this study was very similar to our previously reported results for fathead minnow. This study provides further information with which to evaluate atrazine's risk to fish populations.

Aquatic Toxicology↗

USGS2014

Methylmercury-induced changes in gene transcription associated with neuroendocrine disruption in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

Methyl-mercury (MeHg) is a potent neuroendocrine disruptor that impairs reproductive processes in fish. The objectives of this study were to (1) characterize transcriptomic changes induced by MeHg exposure in the female largemouth bass (LMB) hypothalamus under controlled laboratory conditions, (2) investigate the health and reproductive impacts of MeHg exposure on male and female largemouth bass (LMB) in the natural environment, and (3) identify MeHg-associated gene expression patterns in whole brain of female LMB from MeHg-contaminated habitats. The laboratory experiment was a single injection of 2.5 μg MeHg/g body weight for 96 h exposure. The field survey compared river systems in Florida, USA with comparably lower concentrations of MeHg (Wekiva, Santa Fe, and St. Johns Rivers) in fish and one river system with LMB that contained elevated concentrations of MeHg (St. Marys River). Microarray analysis was used to quantify transcriptomic responses to MeHg exposure. Although fish at the high-MeHg site did not show overt health or reproductive impairment, there were MeHg-responsive genes and pathways identified in the laboratory study that were also altered in fish from the high-MeHg site relative to fish at the low-MeHg sites. Gene network analysis suggested that MeHg regulated the expression targets of neuropeptide receptor and steroid signaling, as well as structural components of the cell. Disease-associated gene networks related to MeHg exposure, based upon expression data, included cerebellum ataxia, movement disorders, and hypercalcemia. Gene responses in the CNS are consistent with the documented neurotoxicological and neuroendocrine disrupting effects of MeHg in vertebrates.

General and Comparative Endocrinology↗

USGS2012

Identification of the thiamin pyrophosphokinase gene in rainbow trout: Characteristic structure and expression of seven splice variants in tissues and cell lines and during embryo development

Thiamin pyrophosphokinase (TPK) converts thiamin to its active form, thiamin diphosphate. In humans, TPK expression is down-regulated in some thiamin deficiency related syndrome, and enhanced during pregnancy. Rainbow trout are also vulnerable to thiamin deficiency in wild life and are useful models for thiamin metabolism research. We identified the tpk gene transcript including seven splice variants in the rainbow trout. Almost all cell lines and tissues examined showed co-expression of several tpk splice variants including a potentially major one at both mRNA and protein levels. However, relative to other tissues, the longest variant mRNA expression was predominant in the ovary and abundant in embryos. During embryogenesis, total tpk transcripts increased abruptly in early development, and decreased to about half of the peak shortly after hatching. In rainbow trout, the tpk transcript complex is ubiquitously expressed for all tissues and cells examined, and its increase in expression could be important in the early-middle embryonic stages. Moreover, decimated tpk expression in a hepatoma cell line relative to hepatic and gonadal cell lines appears to be consistent with previously reported down-regulation of thiamin metabolism in cancer.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B: B↗

USGS2012

Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus is not the cause of thiamine deficiency impeding lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) recruitment in the Great Lakes

Thiamine (vitamin B 1 ) deficiency is a global concern affecting wildlife, livestock, and humans. In Great Lakes salmonines, thiamine deficiency causes embryo mortality and is an impediment to restoration of native lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) stocks. Thiamine deficiency in fish may result from a diet of prey with high levels of thiaminase I. The discoveries that the bacterial species Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus produces thiaminase I, is found in viscera of thiaminase-containing prey fish, and causes mortality when fed to lake trout in the laboratory provided circumstantial evidence implicating P. thiaminolyticus . This study quantified the contribution of P. thiaminolyticus to the total thiaminase I activity in multiple trophic levels of Great Lakes food webs. Unexpectedly, no relationship between thiaminase activity and either the amount of P. thiaminolyticus thiaminase I protein or the abundance of P. thiaminolyticus cells was found. These results demonstrate that P. thiaminolyticus is not the primary source of thiaminase activity affecting Great Lakes salmonines and calls into question the long-standing assumption that P. thiaminolyticus is the source of thiaminase in other wild and domestic animals.

Great Lakes↗

USGS2011

Gene expression changes in female zebrafish (Danio rerio) brain in response to acute exposure to methylmercury

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a potent neurotoxicant and endocrine disruptor that accumulates in aquatic systems. Previous studies have shown suppression of hormone levels in both male and female fish, suggesting effects on gonadotropin regulation in the brain. The gene expression profile in adult female zebrafish whole brain induced by acute (96 h) MeHg exposure was investigated. Fish were exposed by injection to 0 or 0.5 µg MeHg/g. Gene expression changes in the brain were examined using a 22,000‐feature zebrafish microarray. At a significance level of p < 0.01, 79 genes were up‐regulated and 76 genes were down‐regulated in response to MeHg exposure. Individual genes exhibiting altered expression in response to MeHg exposure implicate effects on glutathione metabolism in the mechanism of MeHg neurotoxicity. Gene ontology (GO) terms significantly enriched among altered genes included protein folding, cell redox homeostasis, and steroid biosynthetic process. The most affected biological functions were related to nervous system development and function, as well as lipid metabolism and molecular transport. These results support the involvement of oxidative stress and effects on protein structure in the mechanism of action of MeHg in the female brain. Future studies will compare the gene expression profile induced in response to MeHg with that induced by other toxicants and will investigate responsive genes as potential biomarkers of MeHg exposure.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS2010

Atrazine reduces reproduction in fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

Atrazine, the widely used herbicide, has shown to affect the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonad axis in certain vertebrate species, but few studies have examined reproductive effects of this chemical on fish. Our study was designed to evaluate a population endpoint (egg production) in conjunction with histological (e.g., gonad development) and biochemical (e.g., hormone production) phenotypes associated with atrazine exposure in fathead minnows. Adult virgin breeding groups of 1 male and 2 females were exposed to nominal concentrations of 0, 0.5, 5.0, and 50 μg/L of atrazine in a flow-through diluter for 14 or 30 days. Total egg production was lower (19–39%) in all atrazine-exposed groups as compared to the controls. The decreases in cumulative egg production of atrazine treated fish were significant by 17–20 days of exposure. Reductions in egg production in atrazine treatment groups were most attributable to reduced numbers of spawning events with increased atrazine exposure concentrations. Gonad abnormalities were observed in both male and female fish of atrazine-exposed fish. Our results also indicate that atrazine reduces egg production through alteration of final maturation of oocytes. The reproductive effects observed in this study warrant further investigation and evaluation of the potential risks posed by atrazine, particularly feral populations of fish from streams in agricultural areas with high use of this herbicide.

Aquatic Toxicology↗