Noto Marine Laboratory, Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Division of Marine Environmental Studies, Kanazawa University, Noto-cho, Ishikawa 927-0553, Japan.
Department of Animal Bioscience, Faculty of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Shiga 526-0829, Japan.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Feb 19;17(4):1340. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17041340.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are pollutants that exert harmful effects on marine invertebrates; however, the molecular mechanism underlying PAH action remains unclear. We investigated the effect of PAHs on the ascidian type A (). First, the influence of PAHs on early development was evaluated. PAHs such as dibenzothiophene, fluorene, and phenanthrene resulted in formation of abnormal larvae. PAH treatment of swimming larva induced malformation in the form of tail regression. Additionally, we observed the () mRNA expression in swimming larva, mid body axis rotation, and early juvenile stages. The time correlation between PAH action and mRNA expression suggested that Ci-AhR could be associated with PAH metabolism. Lastly, we analyzed mRNA localization in juveniles. mRNA was localized in the digestive tract, dorsal tubercle, ganglion, and papillae of the branchial sac, suggesting that Ci-AhR is a candidate for an environmental pollutant sensor and performs a neural function. Our results provide basic knowledge on the biological function of Ci-AhR and PAH activity in marine invertebrates.
多环芳烃（PAHs）是对海洋无脊椎动物具有有害影响的污染物；然而，PAH 作用的分子机制尚不清楚。我们研究了 PAHs 对海鞘 A 型（）的影响。首先，评估了 PAHs 对早期发育的影响。二苯并噻吩、芴和菲等 PAHs 导致异常幼虫的形成。PAH 处理游泳幼虫会导致尾部退化的畸形。此外，我们观察了游泳幼虫、中体轴旋转和早期幼体阶段的（）mRNA 表达。PAH 作用与 Ci-AhR mRNA 表达之间的时间相关性表明，Ci-AhR 可能与 PAH 代谢有关。最后，我们分析了幼虫中 Ci-AhR mRNA 的定位。Ci-AhR mRNA 定位于消化道、背结节、神经节和鳃囊的乳突，表明 Ci-AhR 是环境污染物传感器的候选物，并发挥神经功能。我们的研究结果为 Ci-AhR 的生物学功能和海洋无脊椎动物中 PAH 活性提供了基础知识。
