DEVELOPMENTAL TOXIC EFFECTS OF AN OIL SPILL ON FISH EARLY LIFE STAGES: AN APPROACH TO TRANSCRIPTOMIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

To determine whether crude oils or PAH compositions produce common or distinct effects, we used embryonic fish to directly compare crude oils at different states of weathering. Overall, Iranian heavy crude oil (IHCO) crude oils produced alargely overlapping suite of defects, marked by the well-known effects of PAH exposure on cardiac function. This study also clarifies the comparative developmental effects of IHCO on the differences of bio uptake and toxic sensitivity between embryonic spotted sea bass (L. maculates) and olive flounder (P. olivaceus) using RNA &#8211 seq analysis. Orthologous gene cluster analysis showed that olive flounder embryos were sensitive (fold change of genes cutoff P < 0.05) to both FIHCO and WIHCO exposure. However, spotted seabass embryos exhibited higher biotransformation activity to WIHCO than FIHCO exposure, indicating that species-specific differences are likely to be reflected in population levels after oil spills. Overall, our study provides new insight on the different embryonic susceptibilities of two marine fish species to FIHCO and WIHCO and a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms via RNA-seq and morphological analysisargely overlapping suite of defects, marked by the well-known effects of PAH exposure on cardiac function. This study also clarifies the comparative developmental effects of IHCO on the differences of bio uptake and toxic sensitivity between embryonic spotted sea bass (L. maculates) and olive flounder (P. olivaceus) using RNA &#8211 seq analysis. Orthologous gene cluster analysis showed that olive flounder embryos were sensitive (fold change of genes cutoff P < 0.05) to both FIHCO and WIHCO exposure. However, spotted seabass embryos exhibited higher biotransformation activity to WIHCO than FIHCO exposure, indicating that species-specific differences are likely to be reflected in population levels after oil spills. Overall, our study provides new insight on the different embryonic susceptibilities of two marine fish species to FIHCO and WIHCO and a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms via RNA-seq and morphological analysis