Development of a yellow perch microarray for the detection of metal stress

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Cell proteins serve a vast number of essential functions. Examples of protein functions include enzymes, membrane transporters and channels, intracellular ligands and hormone receptors. Living organisms produce proteins from genetic codes recorded in genes stored as DNA, which are transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) and then translated into proteins. The presence of specific mRNA in cells indicates a cellular or organismal need for the proteins for which they encode. Ecotoxicogenomics is the study of changes in gene expression in response to contaminant exposure in wild organisms. This study will examine changes in gene expression patterns in wild yellow perch exposed to metal mixtures in the field. To this end, we will create a cDNA microarray, consisting of a glass slide on which over 1000 gene sequences will be spotted, and which will allow the simultaneous measurement of the level of expression of all genes present on the slide. Yellow perch is the most common species of wild fish around major metal mining and smelting areas in Canada and therefore the most relevant fish for metals ecotoxicogenomics. Yellow perch will be collected from Sudbury ON and Rouyn-Noranda QC, along metal contamination gradients. In Rouyn-Noranda, fish from a clean lake will also be caged in a contaminated lake and vice-versa. Finally, yellow perch will also be exposed in the laboratory to single metals and to natural stressors (temperature, hypoxia, food ration variations) in order to link basic physiological and behavioural responses to gene expression profiles. Combined, these studies will allow us to identify metal-specific gene expression signatures. The microarray will be tested with the objective to develop a tool for Environmental Effects Monitoring of metals in contaminated aquatic environments. The results of this study will improve our capacity to monitor and mitigate the environmental impacts of the metals industry in Canada.