Meeting Abstract
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardant chemicals that are pervasive in the environment and have been linked with endocrine disruption in a variety of organisms. In crustaceans, recent studies have demonstrated a molt-inhibiting effect by several PBDE congeners, but little is known about the specific mechanism through which molt-inhibition occurs. This study will examine the inhibitory effects of PBDEs on crustacean molting; specifically, whether these effects arise from the disruption of molting hormone signaling in the epidermis. In order to assess the effects of PBDEs on the molting process in our model crustacean, Callinectes sapidus, we partially sequenced cDNA of N-acetyl-&beta-glucosaminidase (NAG), a terminal enzyme in the molting hormone-signaling cascades. Using NAG gene expression as a biomarker for ecdysteroid signaling, C. sapidus epidermal tissue will be exposed to varying levels of PBDEs 28 and 47. The effects of these PBDEs will be measured by quantifying NAG gene expression in exposed tissues. The elucidation of a partial cDNA sequence for NAG in C. sapidus will facilitate further research into the molt disrupting effects of xenobiotics since NAG gene expression is a biomarker for crustacean molting. Study of the in vitro effects of PBDEs 28 and 47 will help illuminate the mechanisms for inhibition of crustacean molting by these two prevalent flame retardants. Ultimately, predicted findings of this study may contribute to a better understanding of the effects of PBDE contamination in aquatic environments, as well as mechanisms for the disruption of molting in crustaceans.
