Thyroid disruption in developing zebrafish (Danio rerio) - consequences on morphology, physiology and behavior

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The fact that environmental contaminants can disrupt the thyroid system of fish is well established. Less known are the developmental, physiological and behavioral consequences of thyroid disruption. As the thyroid system plays an important role in key physiological processes such as growth, development and reproduction, its environmentally induced disruption can impact a variety of health and fitness-related parameters such as larval survival, metamorphosis, behavior or fertility. These organism-level changes can then propagate into altered population demography due to selective mortality. The aim of the proposed project is to investigate how initiating molecular pathways of thyroid disruption in fish result in developmental and physiological disturbances leading to fitness changes. Two modes of action will be studied: interference with thyroid hormone synthesis, and binding to thyroid hormone receptors. Zebrafish will be used as experimental model, applying a suite of molecular, physiological, and behavioral approaches.