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: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=765241
• 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.

在高度城市化的环境中，越来越多的潜在环境问题的新有机污染物不断排放到陆地和水生生态系统中，并有可能生物积累并对鸟类等最敏感的野生动物物种产生毒性。许多新出现的卤化阻燃剂(HFRS)可能就是这种情况，尽管它们在世界范围内的各种消费品和工业产品中大量(且不断增加)使用，以达到防火安全标准，即减缓火灾的蔓延，但没有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说，在蒙特利尔地区繁殖的一种丰富的城市适应鸟类环嘴鸥的组织中，出人意料地含有高浓度的HFR类多溴二苯醚(PBDEs)，以及几种尚未检测到的新出现的HFRS。来自我的实验室的证据表明，暴露于HFR最多的环嘴鸥的内分泌系统(例如，甲状腺轴)和某些相关的终点(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)控制野生动物最受关注的新型和新兴HFRS在环嘴鸥体内生物积累和母体转移的生物因素；2)环嘴鸥对选定的新兴HFRS的体外生物转化能力；以及3)通过分析甲状腺激素和皮质酮水平、参与调控的基因的mRNA转录以及脂成分(脂肪组学)和现场代谢率(FMR；衡量动物的总能量支出)，对环嘴鸥和鸡的两个内分泌轴产生暴露相关的影响和潜在的毒性机制。这项研究的新颖性和预期意义在于，暴露于当前使用的污染物(包括肾综合征出血热)的动物的生物积累、生物转化和暴露相关的健康影响(如内分泌、代谢率、脂肪代谢)是未被研究的领域。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)和禽类模型(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关于加拿大环境中新型化学应激源的动态和生物活性的新知识。此外，它将为一名博士和三名硕士提供独特的HQP培训机会。学生以及五名理科学士。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。