Impacts of contaminants on the health of aquatic organisms

我正在申请NSERC继续我的长期研究目标，调查暴露于污染物对水生生物健康的影响。 在这项研究中，我建议检查：i）影响鱼类和海洋哺乳动物中污染物的生物累积和代谢的因素，以及ii）在鱼类接触污染物时观察到的生物效应的机制。关于第一个研究目标，我们将研究相对水溶性污染物在鱼类体内生物累积的可能性。通过实验室和现场研究，我们将评估水溶性污染物是否可以从水中进入血浆，并从那里进入其他组织。 我们还将研究海洋哺乳动物对污染物的吸收和代谢。 具体而言，我们将确定环斑海豹和北极熊血浆中羟基多氯联苯化合物（即促甲状腺代谢物）的水平是否与脂肪中多氯联苯的浓度有关，或与动物的年龄、性别或状况有关。关于第二个研究目标，即研究污染物对鱼类的生物影响，我们将扩大与我们以前在五大湖下游几个地点收集的白色鲈鱼中观察到的大量“两性”睾丸有关的研究方案。利用实验室和现场研究，我们将研究寄生虫引起的鱼类睾丸损伤和性腺间性发育之间的可能关系。 最后，作为我们以前的观察日本青鳉暴露于杀真菌剂，五氯硝基苯（PCNB）的早期生命阶段的发育异常的延续，我们将investgate这些异常是否是由纤连蛋白的生产或结合特性的改变引起的，纤连蛋白是一种对脊椎动物早期发育中的组织分化很重要的糖蛋白。我们将利用我们以前开发的鳟鱼性腺细胞的纤连蛋白生产的体外试验，和一种新的技术，以确定结合PCNB纤连蛋白使用二维heterozygosity NMR光谱。

I am applying to NSERC to continue my long-term research goal of investigating the impacts of exposure to contaminants on the health of aquatic organisms.  In this study, I propose to examine: i) factors that influence the bioaccumulation and metabolism of contaminants in fish and marine mammals, and ii) the mechanisms for biological effects observed in fish exposed to contaminants. With respect to the first research goal, we will study the potential for relatively water-soluble contaminants to bioaccumulate in fish. Using both laboratory and field studies, we will evaluate whether water soluble contaminants can move from water into blood plasma, and from there into other tissues.  We will also study the uptake and metabolism of contaminants in marine mammals.  Specifically, we will determine whether the levels of hydroxy-PCB compounds (i.e. thyroidogenic metabolites) in the blood plasma of ringed seals and polar bears is related to concentrations of PCBs in the fat, or to the age, sex or condition of the animals. In relation to the second research goal to study the biological effects of contaminants in fish, we will extend the research programme related to our previous observations of large numbers of "inter-sex" testes in white perch collected at several locations in the lower Great Lakes. Using both laboratory and field studies, we will examine the possible relationship between parasite-induced damage to the testis of fish and the development of gonadal inter-sex.  Finally, as a continuation of our previous observations of developmental abnormalities in early life stages of Japanese medaka exposed to the fungicide, pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB), we will investgate whether these abnormalities are caused by alterations to the production or binding properties of fibronectin, a glycoprotein important for the differentiation of tissues in the early development of vertebrates. We will utilize our previously developed in vitro assay for fibronectin production with trout gonadal cells, and a novel technique to determine binding of PCNB to fibronection using two-dimensional heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy.