Molecular characterization of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway in goldfish (Carassius auratus) exposure to TCDD: The mRNA and protein levels

Abstract

In bony fish or other aquatic vertebrates, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling pathway is initiated by exposure to polycyclic (or/and halogenated) aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, TCDD), which subsequently induces the up-regulated expression of a series of related genes (such as cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A)). However, a lack of applicable protein reagents hinders our further understanding of the AhR signaling pathway, which focuses only on gene-based investigations. The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is an ideal model for a study of environmental pollution in whole-Asian fresh water. Here, three sensitive and specific polyclonal antisera against goldfish AhR1, AhR2, and CYP1A proteins were developed. These antisera not only bound the in-vitro synthesized target proteins, but recognized the real proteins expressed in goldfish tissues, with minimal cross-reactivity to non-specific proteins. Together with the analysis of semi-quantitative RT-PCR and polyclonal-antibody-based sandwich ELISA, we confirmed that goldfish AhRs differed in the expression (mRNA and protein levels) patterns among test tissues. Importantly, the relative abundance of each AhR mRNA levels from the different tissues showed no obvious consistency with their protein levels. After exposure to TCDD, goldfish AhR2 showed a more sensitivity than AhR1, and stimulated CYP1A expression directly, similar with the other reported fish models. Overall, development of these antibodies in this study will allow valuable and versatile investigations to further understand the AhR signaling pathway, and different expression (mRNA and protein) patterns represent the first step in determining the regulatory mechanisms underlying the TCDD-exposed aquatic environment.