DNA adducts in fish following an oil spill exposure

Abstract

On 12 December 1999, one third of the load of the Erika tanker, amounting to about 10,000 t crude oil flowed into sea waters close to the French Atlantic Coast. This oil contained polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) that are known to be genotoxic. Genotoxic effects induce DNA adducts formation, which can thus be used as pollution biomarkers. Here, we assessed the genotoxic impact of the "Erika" oil spill by DNA adducts detection in the liver of immature fishes (Solea solea) from four locations of the French Brittany coasts. Two months after the spill, a high amount of DNA adducts was found in samples from all locations, amounting to 92-290 DNA adduct per 10 9 nucleotides. Then total DNA adduct levels decreased to reach about 50 adducts per 10 9 nucleotides nine months after the spill. In vitro experiments using human cell cultures and fish liver microsomes evidence the genotoxicity of the Erika fuel. They also prove the formation of reactive species able to create DNA adducts. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo DNA adducts fingerprints are similar, thus confirming that DNA adducts are a result of the oil spill.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons a Constituent of Petroleum: Presence and Influence in the Aquatic Environment

“…Incubation of HePG2 cells lead to the formation of DNA adducts with similar patterns to the ones observed in the monitoring study using fish (Solea solea). These data indicates that human hepatocytes biotransform Erika fuel into genotoxic metabolites similarly to hepatic cells of fish and confirmed that the adducts observed in the monitoring study were related to the contamination of the sediment by the oil spill [173]. It has been shown that DNA adducts persisted in vertebrates species due to the low efficiency of repair systems, representing a parameter for long term exposure [174].…”

“…Briefly, the assay involves DNA purification, digestion to normal and adduct-modified 3'-mononucleotides, removal of normal nucleotides (via enzymatic digestion, solvent extraction or chromatographic methods), 32 P-postlabelling at the 5' position of adducted nucleotides followed by chromatographic separation, detection and quantification (via autoradiography, scintillation counting or phosphor screen imaging analysis) [182]. Following this assay, PAHs cause the appearance of the diagonal radioactive zone (DRZ) (Figure 10) [173,178,183,184]. MS/MS analysis has recently emerged as a powerful tool in the detection and structure elucidation of DNA adducts as well as for their quantification at very low concentrations (as often present in biological samples).…”

Estrogen Repression of MicroRNAs Is Associated with High Guanine Content in the Terminal Loop Sequences of Their Precursors

“…Noticeably, several of the estrogen-repressed miRNAs (miR-26, miR-107, miR-126 and miR-145) were also reduced by the physiological estrogen levels of vitellogenic females [ 8 ]. Thus, it can be assumed that estrogen-miRNA adducts could also affect fish reproduction and other estrogen-regulated biological processes [ 42 ], and could be used as bioindicators of xenoestrogens that pollute our environment [ 43 ].…”

Developmental toxicity of PAH mixtures in fish early life stages. Part I: adverse effects in rainbow trout

“…It is likely that PAH metabolites and reactive oxygen species may be responsible for the DNA damage recorded 317 in this study (Regoli et al 2002;Fallahtafti et al 2012). We could expect MN, mutations and tumors induction at 318 later developmental stages as reported after fish exposure to Erika oil, Statfjord oil, or organic extract from the 319 Seine river sediment (Amat et al 2006; Baršienė et al 2006;Cachot et al 2007). However, aromatic extracts 320 may also contain traces of other chemicals which can also be toxic to fish in particular saturated hydrocarbons or 321 mono-aromatic compounds (González-Doncel et al 2008).…”