Authors:

Sophia Horn

Date Created:

Not specified

Course Title:

Professor:

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About Paper:

A small stream in Illinois is home to the endangered Bigeye Chub (Hybobpsis amblops), but also receives thermal effluents from a large gas refinery. A recent survey suggested that fish exposed to thermal effluents may exhibit deformities, erosions, lesions, and tumors (DELTs), raising concerns about habitat suitability for the endangered species. The combination of gas refinery effluent and thermal stress may cause DELTS and affect fish health, possibly imperiling habitat for an endangered fish. In this portion of the larger study, we will focus on molecular markers of health in fish and will test the hypothesis that effluent, heat, and their interaction alter expression of genes associated with oxidative stress and altered hepatic metabolism. This study exposed a common fish model, the fathead minnow Pimephales promelas, to effluents released from the gas refinery at two different temperatures. Molecular markers were measured using relative gene expression: quantitative polymerase chain reactions (qPCR) were performed on complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesized from RNA extracted from livers. The genes targeted are expressed in response to oxidative stress (catalase) and abnormal hepatic metabolism (cytochrome P450). Deviations in gene expression relative to controls reflect molecular responses to exposure. The sensitivity of these molecular endpoints allows resulting data to indicate if sublethal stress is occurring. Potential alterations in gene expression will be considered along with multiple other health metrics spanning molecular to organismal and population-level responses to determine the sustainability of this habitat for fish.

Source:

Purdue University / 2023

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Sophia Horn