Test of BPA's estrogenic effects on brain aromatase expression, neural activity, and locomotive behavior in zebrafish larvae

Author

Ryan J. McAuley, Humboldt State UniversityFollow

Graduation Date

Summer 2018

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Master of Arts degree with a major in Psychology, option Academic Research

Committee Chair Name

Ethan Gahtan

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Second Committee Member Name

Amanda Hahn

Second Committee Member Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Third Committee Member Name

Bruce O’Gara

Third Committee Member Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Keywords

Zebrafish, Bisphenol A, BPA, Estrogen, Xenoestrogen, Aromatase, Calcium activity, Locomotor behavior, Toxicity, CYP19A1B, ELAVL3, GCAMP, Hypothalamus, Radial glia, Neuron

Subject Categories

Psychology

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a well-known endocrine disrupting chemical that mimics the effects of estrogens. Aromatase B (Cyp19a1b) is a brain-specific enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen and is highly upregulated in response to estrogen receptor activation localized to radial glial cells. During embryonic zebrafish development, there is a small window of time denoted by an increase in neurogenesis and estrogen receptor activity. Previous studies have demonstrated that a low dose BPA exposure (0.1µM) during this window causes hyperlocomotion in larval zebrafish, yet no further explanation for this behavior change has been described. The purpose of this study was to identify whether (0.1µM) BPA exposure during this developmental window could be influencing Ca²⁺ dynamics, and if this correlated to swim activity changes. Two transgenic zebrafish lines, Cyp19a1b:GFP and Elavl3:GCaMP, were used in order to measure changes caused by BPA exposure. Confocal microscopy imaging techniques quantified Cyp19a1b expression in radial glia and dynamic GCaMP expression in neurons over time but did not find significant effects between BPA-treated and control-treated groups for either measurement. Furthermore, swim activity tests failed to replicate the difference in time spent swimming between BPA and control groups.

Citation Style

APA

Recommended Citation

McAuley, Ryan J., "Test of BPA's estrogenic effects on brain aromatase expression, neural activity, and locomotive behavior in zebrafish larvae" (2018). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 173.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/173