Meeting Abstract

34.3  Friday, Jan. 4  The Effect of Monosodium L-Glutamate on the Early Development of the Sea Urchin (Lytechinus variegatus) and the Zebrafish (Danio rerio) MOSELEY, D.B.*; SICCARDI, A.J.; GARRIS, H.W.; WATTS, S.A.; University of Alabama, Birmingham; University of Alabama, Birmingham; University of Alabama, Birmingham; University of Alabama, Birmingham dbalsh@uab.edu

Monosodium L-Glutamate (MSG) is a common food additive originally derived by extraction from the sea kelp, Laminaria japonica. MSG is the sodium salt of the amino acid Glutamate. Glutamate is an amino acid, but serves as a neurotransmitter as well. MSG affects neural development, testis size, and fat deposition through pituitary signaling in mice and rats; however, contrasting studies describe little or no effect. A concern is the potential effects on early development. Sea urchins are excellent models of early embryonic development and zebrafish are excellent models of early organ development. We are investigating morphological anomalies in relation to MSG exposure during post-fertilization development. Fertilized embryos from both the sea urchin (Lytechinus variegatus), and the zebrafish (Danio rerio), were exposed to concentrations of MSG varying from 0.03 mM to 53.00 mM, a range which encompasses levels that are equivalent to those found in human blood plasma. Results show that normal development at 24 hr post fertillization is delayed with an exposure concentration of 3mM. Early cell division in L. variegatus is halted at the blastula stage with higher levels of MSG (>26 mM). Similarly, D. rerio shows an average longer developmental time in the chorion before hatching at concentrations as low as 0.30 mM. These treatments show higher mortality as well. We hypothesize that MSG is acting as a neurotransmitter and is causing early neuronal damage. Currently, studies are in progress to evaluate the effect of early short-term exposure on possible long-term outcomes.