Mentor/s
Dr. Nicole Roy
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Phthalates are added to plastics to enhance its flexibility, durability and transparency. Phthalates are found in a wide range of goods including household, agricultural and medical products as well as building and industrial materials. Phthalates are not covalently bound to plastics and leach into the environment. Phthalates are now pervasive and ubiquitously present in the atmosphere, soil and sediment, surface and wastewater. Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors and their effects on male and female reproduction are well noted. However, studies on the developmental effects of di-butyl phthalate (DBP) are limited. Here we investigate the developmental toxicity of DBP on motor and sensory neuron populations and the muscle structures motor neurons innervate using the zebrafish vertebrate model system. We investigate these effects during the time window of development spanning the period where embryonic patterning determines adult structures. We find that treatment with DBP induces loss and disorganization of primary motor neuron innervation of the somatic tissue with concomitant disruptions to muscle fiber organization. Furthermore, we find disruptions to sensory motor neuron development including defects in dorsal root ganglion and their peripherally extending axons. Rohon-Beard sensory neurons were also disrupted showing loss of the bilateral soma positioning along the length of the spinal cord and their afferent axonal projections to the epithelium. Thus, we conclude that DBP is toxic to developing motor and sensory neurons during embryonic development.
College and Major available
Biology, Chemistry, Chemistry MS, Molecular & Cellular Biology BS
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus 2nd Floor University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-28-2023 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-28-2023 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Prize Categories
Best Multidisciplinary Research or Collaboration, Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Best Visuals
Di-butyl Phthalate Disrupts Muscle, Motor and Sensory Neuron Development in Embryonic Zebrafish
Digital Commons & West Campus 2nd Floor University Commons
Phthalates are added to plastics to enhance its flexibility, durability and transparency. Phthalates are found in a wide range of goods including household, agricultural and medical products as well as building and industrial materials. Phthalates are not covalently bound to plastics and leach into the environment. Phthalates are now pervasive and ubiquitously present in the atmosphere, soil and sediment, surface and wastewater. Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors and their effects on male and female reproduction are well noted. However, studies on the developmental effects of di-butyl phthalate (DBP) are limited. Here we investigate the developmental toxicity of DBP on motor and sensory neuron populations and the muscle structures motor neurons innervate using the zebrafish vertebrate model system. We investigate these effects during the time window of development spanning the period where embryonic patterning determines adult structures. We find that treatment with DBP induces loss and disorganization of primary motor neuron innervation of the somatic tissue with concomitant disruptions to muscle fiber organization. Furthermore, we find disruptions to sensory motor neuron development including defects in dorsal root ganglion and their peripherally extending axons. Rohon-Beard sensory neurons were also disrupted showing loss of the bilateral soma positioning along the length of the spinal cord and their afferent axonal projections to the epithelium. Thus, we conclude that DBP is toxic to developing motor and sensory neurons during embryonic development.
Students' Information
John Paul Giacalone
- Honors Student, Molecular and Cellular Biology Major, Graduating class of 2023
Evelyn Paquette
- Honors Student, Biochemistry Major, Molecular Biochemistry Masters, Graduating class of 2023
Michael Fumo
- Honors Student, Biology Major, Graduating class of 2023
Winner, Most Scholarly Impact or Potential 2023 Award
Winner, Dean's Prize: College of Arts & Sciences Natural Sciences 2023 Award