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Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity Using the Zebrafish as a Model...
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Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity Using the Zebrafish as a Model Organism

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 3273

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Liwei Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
Interests: aquatic toxicity; biomarkers; emerging pollutants
Prof. Dr. Wenqing Tu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
Interests: emerging organic pollutants; PFASs; zebrafish model; bioaccumulation; aquatic toxicity; energy metabolism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) offer a number of practical advantages, including their small size, high fecundity, rapid and well-characterized external development and accessible gene manipulation, which make them a favored vertebrate model organism for toxicologically relevant research. Moreover, it has been found that there is significant genomic, anatomical and physiological homology between humans and zebrafish, and many fundamental cellular and molecular pathways involved in the response to toxicants are highly conserved. By utilizing these advantages, the toxicity of various chemicals, drugs and chemically defined natural products has been studied in recent decades, which not only expands our understanding of their potential effects on aquatic organisms, but also on mammals and even humans. However, although a variety of effects have been observed following exposure in these toxicity studies, their underlying molecular mechanisms are yet to be revealed

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to collect a broad spectrum of novel research in the field of toxicology using zebrafish as the model organism. In particular, studies exploring underlying molecular mechanisms and new technologies that will be helpful for advancing current knowledge are encouraged. Both original articles and reviews are welcomed.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Liwei Sun
Prof. Dr. Wenqing Tu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • model fish
  • molecular mechanisms
  • aquatic toxicity
  • Danio rerio
  • chemicals
  • drugs

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2164 KiB  
Article
Implications of Lead (Pb)-Induced Transcriptomic and Phenotypic Alterations in the Aged Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
by Chia-Chen Wu, Danielle N. Meyer, Alex Haimbaugh and Tracie R. Baker
Toxics 2024, 12(10), 745; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12100745 - 14 Oct 2024
Viewed by 450
Abstract
Lead (Pb) is a well-known neurotoxin with established adverse effects on the neurological functions of children and younger adults, including motor, learning, and memory abilities. However, its potential impact on older adults has received less attention. Using the zebrafish model, our study aims [...] Read more.
Lead (Pb) is a well-known neurotoxin with established adverse effects on the neurological functions of children and younger adults, including motor, learning, and memory abilities. However, its potential impact on older adults has received less attention. Using the zebrafish model, our study aims to characterize the dose–response relationship between environmentally relevant Pb exposure levels and their effects on changes in behavior and transcriptomics during the geriatric periods. We exposed two-year-old zebrafish to waterborne lead acetate (1, 10, 100, 1000, or 10,000 µg/L) or a vehicle (DMSO) for 5 days. While lower concentrations (1–100 µg/L) reflect environmentally relevant Pb levels, higher concentrations (1000–10,000 µg/L) were included to assess acute toxicity under extreme exposure scenarios. We conducted adult behavior assessment to evaluate the locomotor activity following exposure. The same individual fish were subsequently sacrificed for brain dissection after a day of recovery in the aquatic system. RNA extraction and sequencing were then performed to evaluate the Pb-induced transcriptomic changes. Higher (1000–10,000 ug/L) Pb levels induced hyperactive locomotor patterns in aged zebrafish, while lower (10–100 ug/L) Pb levels resulted in the lowest locomotor activity compared to the control group. Exposure to 100 µg/L led to the highest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), while 10,000 µg/L induced larger fold changes in both directions. The neurological pathways impacted by Pb exposure include functions related to neurotransmission, such as cytoskeletal regulation and synaptogenesis, and oxidative stress response, such as mitochondrial dysfunction and downregulation of heat shock protein genes. These findings emphasize a U-shape dose–response relationship with Pb concentrations in locomotor activity and transcriptomic changes in the aging brain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity Using the Zebrafish as a Model Organism)
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12 pages, 981 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study of the Effects of Drugs Targeting Adrenergic Receptors on the Early Life Stages of Zebrafish
by Junsheng Lv, Fengzhu Sun, Zaitian Li, Yueyun Qin, Ruozhu Sheng and Liwei Sun
Toxics 2024, 12(8), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12080583 - 10 Aug 2024
Viewed by 751
Abstract
Owing to the presence of drugs targeting adrenergic receptors in aquatic ecosystems, considerable attention has been directed towards their environmental distribution and fate in recent decades. However, their potential impacts on non-target aquatic organisms, particularly fish, have received relatively limited investigation. In this [...] Read more.
Owing to the presence of drugs targeting adrenergic receptors in aquatic ecosystems, considerable attention has been directed towards their environmental distribution and fate in recent decades. However, their potential impacts on non-target aquatic organisms, particularly fish, have received relatively limited investigation. In this study, moxisylyte (MOX) and propranolol (PRO) were selected as representatives of α- or β-adrenergic receptor antagonist, respectively, and we assessed their effects on the early life stages of zebrafish, especially on the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Although both compounds exhibited marginal effects on zebrafish survival, hatching and gross abnormality following exposure to concentrations ranging from 1 to 625 μg/L, they adversely affected the development of cardiovascular and nervous systems, but through different mechanisms of action, as evidenced by variations in gene transcriptional responses and enzyme activities. Notably, cardiovascular responses appear promising for use as potential biomarkers for exposure to drugs targeting adrenergic receptors. This study enhances our understanding of the ecotoxicological risks posed by α- and β-blockers in fish. Nonetheless, further investigation is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying the impacts of drugs targeting adrenergic receptors due to our limited knowledge of the physiological functions of the adrenergic system in fish. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity Using the Zebrafish as a Model Organism)
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14 pages, 2860 KiB  
Article
Enantioselective Toxicity of Tetramethrin to Different Developmental Stages of Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
by Jiqin Feng, Xintong Xu, Wenfei Huang, Honghong Gong, Xiaohui Sun, Jinsong Liu, Chao Xu and Weiping Liu
Toxics 2024, 12(2), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12020146 - 13 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1516
Abstract
Chiral pesticides exhibit enantioselective differences in processes such as biological absorption, metabolism, and toxic effects. Organisms have different physiological characteristics at different developmental stages. Therefore, conducting enantiomeric toxicity studies at different developmental stages of organisms can help deepen the understanding of the ecological [...] Read more.
Chiral pesticides exhibit enantioselective differences in processes such as biological absorption, metabolism, and toxic effects. Organisms have different physiological characteristics at different developmental stages. Therefore, conducting enantiomeric toxicity studies at different developmental stages of organisms can help deepen the understanding of the ecological effects of chiral pesticides. This study focused on trans-tetramethrin (Tet) and investigated the enantioselectivity in bioconcentration, developmental toxicity, estrogenic effects, and immunotoxicity of Tet’s racemate ((±)-Tet) and its two enantiomers ((+)-Tet and (−)-Tet) in three developmental stages of zebrafish: embryos, yolk sac larvae, and juveniles. The results showed that Tet exhibited different enantioselectivity in lethal, bioconcentration, and teratogenic effects on zebrafish at different developmental stages. The LC50 value was (+)-Tet > (±)-Tet > (−)-Tet, with embryos being the most sensitive, followed by juveniles and yolk sac larvae. The enantioselective bioconcentration was (±)-Tet > (+)-Tet > (−)-Tet, and the bioconcentration effect was greater in embryos than that in yolk sac larvae and juveniles. Developmental toxicity indicated that (+)-Tet and (±)-Tet had higher teratogenic effects on yolk sac larvae than on embryos. Tet exhibited different enantioselective effects on the expression of zebrafish estrogen-related genes and innate immune-related genes at different developmental stages. These results will contribute to a more comprehensive assessment of the aquatic toxicity and environmental risks of chiral pesticides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity Using the Zebrafish as a Model Organism)
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