Gill and liver transcriptomic responses of Achirus lineatus (Neopterygii: Achiridae) exposed to water-accommodated fraction (WAF) of light crude oil reveal an onset of hypoxia-like condition

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2021-07, Vol.28 (26), p.34309-34327
• Main Authors: Zamora-Briseño, Jesús Alejandro, Améndola-Pimenta, Monica, Ortega-Rosas, Daniel Antonio, Pereira-Santana, Alejandro, Hernández-Velázquez, Ioreni Margarita, González-Penagos, Carlos Eduardo, Pérez-Vega, Juan Antonio, del Río-García, Marcela, Árcega-Cabrera, Flor, Rodríguez-Canul, Rossanna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Achirus lineatus; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Crude oil; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA repair; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Exposure; Gene regulation; Genes; Geographical distribution; Gills; Hypoxia; Indigenous species; Liver; Marine ecosystems; Marine environment; Marine pollution; Metabolism; Oil pollution; Organs; Pollutants; Research Article; Sole; Transcription; Transcriptomics; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-12909-7

Crude oil is one of the most widespread pollutants released into the marine environment, and native species have provided useful information about the effect of crude oil pollution in marine ecosystems. We consider that the lined sole Achirus lineatus can be a useful monitor of the effect of crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) because this flounder species has a wide distribution along the GoM, and its response to oil components is relevant. The objective of this study was to compare the transcriptomic changes in liver and gill of adults lined sole fish ( Achirus lineatus ) exposed to a sublethal acute concentration of water-accommodated fraction (WAF) of light crude oil for 48 h. RNA-Seq was performed to assess the transcriptional changes in both organs. A total of 1073 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in gills; 662 (61.69%) were upregulated, and 411 (38.30%) were downregulated whereas in liver, 515 DEGs; 306 (59.42%) were upregulated, and 209 (40.58%) were downregulated. Xenobiotic metabolism and redox metabolism, along with DNA repair mechanisms, were activated. The induction of hypoxia-regulated genes and the generalized regulation of multiple signaling pathways support the hypothesis that WAF exposition causes a hypoxia-like condition.