Understanding the Factors Driving Intra-Specific Variations of Contaminants in Urban-Adapted Birds and their Endocrine and Metabolic Impacts

了解驱动城市适应鸟类污染物特定内变化的因素及其内分泌和代谢影响

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-03291
• 负责人: Verreault, Jonathan
• 金额: $ 4.01万
• 依托单位: Université du Québec à Montréal
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=742478
• 关键词: Understanding; Factors; Driving; Intra; Specific

A growing number of new organic contaminants of potential environmental concern are constantly discharged into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in highly urbanized environments, and have the potential to bioaccumulate and be toxic to the most susceptible wildlife species such as birds. This may be the case for the numerous emerging halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) for which no national or international regulations exist despite their massive (and growing) usage worldwide in a wide range of consumer and industrial products to achieve fire safety standards, that is, to slow down the spread of fire. A recent study conducted by my lab reported unexpectedly high concentrations of the HFR class polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as well as several as yet undetected emerging HFRs in tissues of an abundant urban-adapted avian species, the ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis), breeding in the Montreal area. Evidence from my lab suggests that the endocrine system (e.g., thyroid axis) and certain related endpoints (e.g., energetic metabolism) may be adversely affected in the most HFR-exposed ring-billed gulls. The short-term objectives of the proposed NSERC DG research program will be to investigate: 1) the biological factors governing the bioaccumulation and maternal transfer in ring-billed gulls of novel and emerging HFRs of greatest health concern for wildlife; 2) the in vitro biotransformation capacity in ring-billed gulls towards selected emerging HFRs; and 3) the exposure-related effects and underlying mechanisms of toxicity of selected emerging HFRs on two endocrine axes in ring-billed gulls and chicken via analysis of thyroid hormone and corticosterone levels, mRNA transcription of genes involved in their regulation as well as lipid composition (lipidomics) and field metabolic rate (FMR; measures an animal's total energy expenditure). The novelty and expected significance of the proposed research is that the bioaccumulation, biotransformation, and exposure-related health impacts (e.g., endocrine, metabolic rate, lipid metabolism) on animals exposed to currently used contaminants including HFRs are understudied fields of research. One other significant aspect of this work is the comparative approach, that is, the examination of differences in chemically-induced effects among naturally-exposed bird populations (gull) and an avian model (chicken). This proposed research program will thus provide new knowledge on the dynamics and bioactivity of novel chemical stressors in the Canadian environment. Furthermore, it will represent a unique HQP training opportunity for one Ph.D. and three M.Sc. students as well as five B.Sc. honour students in novel aspects of animal bioenergetics, ecotoxicology, bioenergetics, endocrinology, analytical chemistry, and lipidomics.

越来越多具有潜在环境问题的新型有机污染物不断排放到高度城市化环境中的陆地和水生生态系统中，并且有可能发生生物累积，并对鸟类等最易受影响的野生动物物种产生毒性。对于众多新兴的卤化阻燃剂 (HFR) 来说，情况可能就是如此，尽管它们在全球范围内广泛（且不断增长）用于各种消费品和工业产品中，以达到消防安全标准，即减缓火势蔓延，但目前尚无国家或国际法规对其进行监管。我的实验室最近进行的一项研究报告称，在蒙特利尔地区繁殖的大量适应城市的鸟类——环嘴鸥（Larus delawarensis）的组织中，HFR 类多溴二苯醚 (PBDE) 的浓度出乎意料地高，以及几种尚未检测到的新出现的 HFR。我实验室的证据表明，大多数接触 HFR 的环嘴鸥的内分泌系统（例如甲状腺轴）和某些相关终点（例如能量代谢）可能会受到不利影响。拟议的 NSERC DG 研究计划的短期目标将是调查： 1) 控制对野生动物健康影响最大的新型和新兴 HFR 的环嘴鸥生物累积和母体转移的生物学因素； 2) 环嘴鸥对选定的新出现的 HFR 的体外生物转化能力； 3) 通过分析甲状腺激素和皮质酮水平、参与其调节的基因的 mRNA 转录以及脂质成分（脂质组学）和场代谢率（FMR；测量动物的总能量消耗），确定选定的新兴 HFR 对环嘴鸥和鸡的两个内分泌轴的暴露相关影响和潜在毒性机制。拟议研究的新颖性和预期意义在于，暴露于当前使用的污染物（包括 HFR）的动物的生物累积、生物转化和暴露相关的健康影响（例如内分泌、代谢率、脂质代谢）是尚未研究的研究领域。这项工作的另一个重要方面是比较方法，即检查自然暴露的鸟类种群（海鸥）和鸟类模型（鸡）之间化学诱导效应的差异。因此，这项拟议的研究计划将提供有关加拿大环境中新型化学应激源的动力学和生物活性的新知识。此外，它还将为一名博士提供独特的 HQP 培训机会。和三个硕士学位学生以及五名理学士。在动物生物能量学、生态毒理学、生物能量学、内分泌学、分析化学和脂质组学的新方面向学生授予荣誉。