Abstract
BackgroundMolecular mechanisms of response to pesticides are scarce and information on such responses from soil invertebrates is almost inexistent. Enchytraeus albidus (Oligochaeta) is a standard soil ecotoxicology model species for which effects of many pesticides are known on survival, reproduction and avoidance behaviour. With the recent microarray development additional information can be retrieved on the molecular effects.Methodology/Principal FindingsExperiments were performed to investigate the transcription responses of E. albidus when exposed to three pesticides – dimethoate (insecticide), atrazine (herbicide) and carbendazim (fungicide) – in a range of concentrations that inhibited reproduction by 10%, 20%, 50% and 90% (EC10, EC20, EC50 and EC90, respectively). The goal of this study was to further identify key biological processes affected by each compound and if dose-related. All three pesticides significantly affected biological processes like translation, regulation of the cell cycle or general response to stress. Intracellular signalling and microtubule-based movement were affected by dimethoate and carbendazim whereas atrazine affected lipid and steroid metabolism (also by dimethoate) or carbohydrate metabolism (also by carbendazim). Response to DNA damage/DNA repair was exclusively affected by carbendazim.ConclusionsChanges in gene expression were significantly altered after 2 days of exposure in a dose-related manner. The mechanisms of response were comparable with the ones for mammals, suggesting across species conserved modes of action. The present results indicate the potential of using gene expression in risk assessment and the advantage as early markers.
Highlights
Pesticides are a common source of pollution, being present at a large scale in many European soils
The mechanisms of response were comparable with the ones for mammals, suggesting across species conserved modes of action
The present results indicate the potential of using gene expression in risk assessment and the advantage as early markers
Summary
Pesticides are a common source of pollution, being present at a large scale in many European soils. Dimethoate is one of the most used insecticides in agricultural fields and it is known as a cholinesterase inhibitor acting at the cholinergic synapses of insects [1] This ability to inhibit cholinesterases has been demonstrated for other groups of organisms like freshwater shrimps [2], chironomids [3], fish [4] or earthworms [5]. Besides these effects related to its mode of action in insects, dimethoate have been described to inhibit steroidogenesis in rats [6]. With the recent microarray development additional information can be retrieved on the molecular effects
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