4-n-Nonylphenol and 17-beta estradiol may induce common DNA effects in developing barnacle larvae

There is a growing concern over the potential effects of environmental endocrine disrupters on both human and wildlife populations. However, to date, minimal research has been conducted to determine the effect of estrogens and xenoestrogens at the DNA level. In this study, we used the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay to evaluate the effects on the genomic DNA of barnacle larvae that had been exposed to 17beta-estradiol (E2) and low concentrations of 4-n-nonylphenol (NP). DNA effects include DNA damage as well as mutations and possibly other effects at the DNA level that can be induced by chemical or physical agents that directly and/or indirectly interact with genomic DNA. Not only did exposure to NP and E2 induce changes in RAPD profiles in the exposed barnacle larvae when compared to control patterns, but also, and more importantly, there were similarities in the RAPD modifications in the exposed populations that had been treated to either chemical. We propose that NP and E2 induced some common DNA effects in barnacle larvae and that these specific modifications in RAPD patterns may arise as a consequence of hot spot DNA damage (e.g. DNA adducts) and/or mutations (point mutations or genomic rearrangements). This could help to explain how xenoestrogens mimic the effects produced by natural estrogens. In conclusion, in the field of endocrine disruption, the study of DNA effects induced by estrogens and/or xenoestrogens warrants further investigation. Indeed, changes at the DNA levcl may be the precursors of some of the numerous effects reported at higher levels of biological organisation such as the feminization of males, developmental abnormalities, and infertility.     

Modelling of the life cycle of Chironomus species using an energy-based model

Little is known about the differences between the species of the genus Chironomus relatively to their life cycle strategies. This knowledge is however crucial to fully understand the response of the Chironomus community to field perturbations. Here, we proposed to study four Chironomus species by using an energy-based model to describe growth, emergence and reproduction. We used data from the literature for two species (Chironomus plumosus and Chironomus tentans) and data from our experiments for two other species (Chironomus prasinus and Chironomus riparius). We showed that our model is able to accurately describe the life-history attributes for all the species tested, which suggests that Chironomus species have the same fundamental characteristics (low maintenance energetic costs, isomorphism), which makes possible the building of a common modelling framework to assess effects of toxicants at individual and population level. The species showed a few differences relatively to the parameters of the models with possible consequences when assessing effects of chemicals on Chironomus community. For instance, due to differences in growth parameters, C. riparius population dynamics should be more sensitive to effects on individual growth than C. prasinus or C. plumosus ones.     

Développement larvaire de deux Tellinacea,Scrobicularia plana (Semelidae) et Donax vittatus (Donacidae)

Scrobicularia plana Da Costa and Donax vittatus L. were reared in the laboratory through settlement. Fertilizable eggs were obtained by perfusing the ovary with 5% 0.1 M ammonium hydroxyde in sea water. S. plana eggs have a thick chorion, inside which the early larval stages develop; they hatch as straight-hinge larvae more than 60 h after fertilization. This brood protection is considered to be an adaptation to osmotic pressure changes and pollution in the environment. D. vittatus eggs have a very thin chorion and are unprotected. Further development is planktotrophic and very similar for the two species. Under laboratory conditions, the pediveliger stage is attained 3 weeks after fertilization and settlement occurs 1 week thereafter. S. plana spat stop growing until a suitable substratum is available. Meanwhile they undergo a byssus drifting important for postlarval dispersion. Post larvae resume growth as soon as a small quantity of fine sand is added to the rearing jar. The exhalant siphon is developed first, when the post larvae reach a length of 600 m; the inhalant siphon is formed later, at a length of approximately 900 m. Evolution from the larval hinge to the juvenile hinge stage occurs sooner in S. plana than in D. vittatus. Comparison of laboratory larval development with field development indicates that spawning occurs in June and August for S. plana in North Wales (UK).     

Additive effects of aboveground polyphagous herbivores and soil feedback in native and range-expanding exotic plants

Plant biomass and plant abundance can be controlled by aboveground and belowground natural enemies. However, little is known about how the aboveground and belowground enemy effects may add up. We exposed 15 plant species to aboveground polyphagous insect herbivores and feedback effects from the soil community alone, as well as in combination. We envisaged three possibilities: additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects of the aboveground and belowground enemies on plant biomass. In our analysis, we included native and phylogenetically related range-expanding exotic plant species, because exotic plants on average are less sensitive to aboveground herbivores and soil feedback than related natives. Thus, we examined if lower sensitivity of exotic plant species to enemies also alters aboveground-belowground interactions. In a greenhouse experiment, we exposed six exotic and nine native plant species to feedback from their own soil communities, aboveground herbivory by polyphagous insects, or a combination of soil feedback and aboveground insects and compared shoot and root biomass to control plants without aboveground and belowground enemies. We observed that for both native and range-expanding exotic plant species effects of insect herbivory aboveground and soil feedback added up linearly, instead of enforcing or counteracting each other. However, there was no correlation between the strength of aboveground herbivory and soil feedback. We conclude that effects of polyphagous aboveground herbivorous insects and soil feedback add up both in the case of native and related range-expanding exotic plant species, but that aboveground herbivory effects may not necessarily predict the strengths of soil feedback effects.     

Pesticide and agro-ecological transition: assessing the environmental and human impacts of pesticides and limiting their use

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

Antigenic characterization of hemocyte subpopulations in the mussel Mytilus edulis by means of monoclonal antibodies

In order to characterize in more detail hemocytes from Mytilus edulis and establish links between histological and cytological featues, monoclonal antibodies (MABs) were prepared using hybridoma technology. Five MABs were identified and their reactivity patterns were analyzed with both immunoperoxidase and ultrastructural immunogold labelling. Four MAB classes were identified by their immunostaining patterns. Optical and ultrastructural examination revealed that Class I MAB reacted specifically with basophilic granulocytes (granulocytes containing small granules). Class II and III MABs differed in the intensity of their indirect immunofluorescence and degree of immunoperoxidase labelling, but all recognized both basophilic and eosinophilic granulocytes. Epitopes recognized by Class IV MABs were not always present in basophilic granulocytes, whereas they were always expressed in the eosinophilic granulocytes (granulocytes containing large granules) and could constitute differentiation antigens which progressively form during the maturation process. Molecular weights of the proteins recognized by these MABs were determined by Western blotting. It is concluded that immunostaining can identify at least three hemocyte types in M. edulis.     

The evaluation of dioxin and dioxin-like contaminants in selected food samples obtained from the Belgian market: comparison of TEQ measurements obtained through the CALUX bioassay with congener specific chemical analyses

A limited number of different foods were analysed for dioxin-like compounds by the CALUX bioassay which is an in vitro luciferase reporter gene assay measuring chemical activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Sixty-two milk samples were obtained from a surveillance campaign, 34 meat samples and 34 fishery products were purchased from the Belgian market. Bio-analytical and chemo-analytical dioxin toxicity equivalents (TEQ) values of the same milk samples were compared. Spearman's Rank correlation coefficients of 0.72, 0.67, 0.73 were obtained respectively between CALUX-TEQ and PCDD/F-TEQ, DL-PCB-TEQ and PCDD/F+DL-PCB-TEQ. The bioassay limit of detection was 0.1 pg TEQ from 1 g animal lipid, the limit of quantification was 0.4 pg TEQ. The repeatability of the CALUX bioassay (variability of butter fat samples analysed in the same run) showed a coefficient of variation (CV) of 10%, intra laboratory reproducibility based on independent runs of the same butter fat samples showed more variation (CV of 26% for samples above 2 pg TEQ/g lipid). All milk samples with a chemical TEQ value above the current limit value in Belgium showed an elevated CALUX-TEQ concentration, above 6 pg TEQ/g lipid. No false negative results were obtained. Based on the good correlation between CALUX-TEQ and chemically measured TEQ levels, the CALUX bioassay can be recommended as a screening tool for routine measurement of potentially toxic PHAHs in milk samples. Chemical analyses could then largely be restricted to positive samples, in order to identify the nature and to quantify the concentration of the chemicals that give the positive signal. Meat samples showed lower CALUX-TEQ values per gram lipid compared to fish samples. The fish samples showed a wider range of CALUX-TEQ values than the meat samples.