Mentor/s
Nicole M. Roy
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are added in high volumes to textiles, furniture foams, plastics and electronics as flame retardants. Although these PBDEs are effective in protecting property and human life from fire, their high production volumes have led PBDEs to be pervasive environmental contaminants and pose an ecological risk. Here we investigate the developmental neurotoxicity of 2,2’,4,4’-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-47) using the zebrafish vertebrate model system. We treated zebrafish embryos with control, vehicle, low (5µM) and high concentration (20µM) of PBDE-47 at 6 hours post-fertilization before the onset of gastrulation and treated continuously until 6 days. Consistent with others, we find abnormal curvature of the body with flexion of the hindbrain, but studies on neurotoxicity were lacking. Using a transgenic expressing green fluorescent protein in the branchiomotor neurons of the hindbrain, we find a significant decrease in the length of rhombomere 1-8 and loss of the canonical patterning of branchiomotor neurons V-VII in treated embryos. We further investigated oligodendrocytes in the hindbrain using a myelin basic protein transgenic and found a significant decrease in the number of oligodendrocytes in the hindbrain of treated embryos. Given the abnormal curvature of the body, we also investigated primary motor neurons which innervate the trunk musculature. Others have noted early inhibition of axonal growth in primary motoneurons. We find that by 6 days despite the spinal curvature, the pattern along the chevron-shaped somites was not affected, however PBDE-47 treated embryos demonstrated a decrease in motoneuron signal. Here we conclude that PBDE-47 is neurotoxic to the developing embryos.
College and Major available
Biology, Neuroscience
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-26-2024 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-26-2024 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Neurotoxicity of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) during embryonic zebrafish development
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are added in high volumes to textiles, furniture foams, plastics and electronics as flame retardants. Although these PBDEs are effective in protecting property and human life from fire, their high production volumes have led PBDEs to be pervasive environmental contaminants and pose an ecological risk. Here we investigate the developmental neurotoxicity of 2,2’,4,4’-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-47) using the zebrafish vertebrate model system. We treated zebrafish embryos with control, vehicle, low (5µM) and high concentration (20µM) of PBDE-47 at 6 hours post-fertilization before the onset of gastrulation and treated continuously until 6 days. Consistent with others, we find abnormal curvature of the body with flexion of the hindbrain, but studies on neurotoxicity were lacking. Using a transgenic expressing green fluorescent protein in the branchiomotor neurons of the hindbrain, we find a significant decrease in the length of rhombomere 1-8 and loss of the canonical patterning of branchiomotor neurons V-VII in treated embryos. We further investigated oligodendrocytes in the hindbrain using a myelin basic protein transgenic and found a significant decrease in the number of oligodendrocytes in the hindbrain of treated embryos. Given the abnormal curvature of the body, we also investigated primary motor neurons which innervate the trunk musculature. Others have noted early inhibition of axonal growth in primary motoneurons. We find that by 6 days despite the spinal curvature, the pattern along the chevron-shaped somites was not affected, however PBDE-47 treated embryos demonstrated a decrease in motoneuron signal. Here we conclude that PBDE-47 is neurotoxic to the developing embryos.
Students' Information
Samantha Faeth, Biology major, Honors student, graduating May 2024.
Julia Mullane, Neuroscience major, Honors student, graduating May 2026