The Experts below are selected from a list of 183 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Ioanna Katsiadaki - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Variation in the reproductive potential of Schistocephalus infected male sticklebacks is associated with 11-ketotestosterone titre
Hormones and Behavior, 2011Co-Authors: Vicki Macnab, Alexander P. Scott, Ioanna Katsiadaki, Iain BarberAbstract:Abstract Parasites can impact host reproduction by interfering with host endocrine systems, but the adaptive nature of such effects is disputed. Schistocephalus solidus plerocercoids are parasites of three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus that are often associated with impaired host reproduction. Here, we relate reproductive behavior and physiology to levels of the androgen 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) in naturally infected and non-infected male sticklebacks from two UK populations. In one population infected males harbored heavy infections and showed uniformly reduced 11KT titres and kidney spiggin (nesting Glue Protein) content compared to non-infected fish. However in a second population infection levels were more variable and males with smaller infections recorded 11KT and spiggin titres that overlapped those of non-infected fish; among infected males from this population 11KT and kidney spiggin also both correlated negatively with infection severity. Male reproductive behavior correlated closely with 11KT titre in both populations, and infected males with high 11KT levels exhibited normal reproductive behavior. Our results suggest that Schistocephalus infection per se does not block reproductive development in male sticklebacks, and that some male fish may have the ability to breed whilst infected. Our results are not consistent with the hypothesis that Schistocephalus adaptively castrates male hosts via endocrine disruption; rather they support the hypothesis that reproductive disruption is a side effect of the energetic costs of infection.
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the organophosphorous pesticide fenitrothion acts as an anti androgen and alters reproductive behavior of the male three spined stickleback gasterosteus aculeatus
Ecotoxicology, 2009Co-Authors: A P Scott, Marion Sebire, Charles R Tyler, James E Cresswell, Dave J Hodgson, Steve Morris, Matthew B Sanders, Paul D Stebbing, Ioanna KatsiadakiAbstract:Fenitrothion (FN) is a widely used organophosphorous pesticide that has structural similarities with the clinical anti-androgen flutamide. The potential for FN to act as an anti-androgen (at exposures of 1, 50, and 200 μg FN/l over a 26-day period) was assessed in male three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus, by measuring kidney spiggin concentration, nest-building, and courtship behavior. Spiggin is the Glue Protein that male sticklebacks use to build their nests and is directly controlled by androgens. FN exposure significantly reduced spiggin production as well as nest-building activity. It also adversely affected courtship—especially the ‘zigzag dance’ and biting behavior of the males. FN thus appears to have anti-androgenic effects on both the physiology and behavior of the male stickleback.
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Intercalibration exercise using a stickleback endocrine disrupter screening assay.
Environmental toxicology and chemistry, 2008Co-Authors: Yyvonne T. Allen, Ian Mayer, Alexander P. Scott, Ioanna Katsiadaki, Peter Matthiessen, Tom G. Pottinger, Cecile Jolly, Andrew Smith, Paul Eccles, Matthew B SandersAbstract:The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is currently validating a short-term fish screening protocol for endocrine disrupters (estrogens, androgens, and their antagonists and aromatase inhibitors), using three core species: fathead minnow, Japanese medaka, and zebrafish. The main endpoints proposed for the first phase of validation of the screen are vitellogenin (VTG) concentration, gross morphology (secondary sexual characteristics and gonado-somatic index), and gonadal histopathology. A similar protocol is concurrently being developed in the United Kingdom using the three-spined stickleback, with identical endpoints to those for the core species and, in addition, a unique androgen-specific endpoint in the form of spiggin (Glue Protein) induction. To assess the suitability of this species for inclusion in the OECD protocol alongside the core species, an intercalibration was conducted using 17β-estradiol (a natural estrogen) and trenbolone (a synthetic androgen), thus mimicking a previous intercalibration with the core species. All three participating laboratories detected statistically significant increases in VTG in males after 14 d exposure to nominal concentrations of 100 ng/L 17β-estradiol and statistically significant increases in spiggin in females after 14 d exposure to nominal concentrations of 5,000 ng/L trenbolone. The stickleback screen is reliable, possessing both relevant and reproducible endpoints for the detection of potent estrogens and androgens. Further work is underway to assess the relevance and suitability of the screen for weakly acting estrogens, anti-androgens, and aromatase inhibitors.
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Three-spined stickleback: an emerging model in environmental endocrine disruption.
Environmental sciences : an international journal of environmental physiology and toxicology, 2007Co-Authors: Ioanna Katsiadaki, Kiyoshi Soyano, Masaki Nagae, Marion Sebire, Matthew B Sanders, Alexander P. ScottAbstract:The three-spined stickleback, a small teleost species with habitats that range from full marine to fresh water bodies across the whole Northern hemisphere, has a number of advantages for endocrine disruption research. It is the only teleost species with an unambiguous biomarker for androgens, the presence of the Glue Protein spiggin in the male kidney, which can be measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The androgen assay has been adopted to detect antiandrogens in two different ways and an homologous ELISA for stickleback vitellogenin is also available. DNA markers for molecular sex determination are available; thus, sex ratios can also be used for in situ biomonitoring. In addition, the critical period of sexual differentiation has been determined and the occurrence of intersex fish has been reported several times. The species full genome sequence is almost complete. All aspects of stickleback biology (ecology, evolution, behavior, physiology, endocrinology) are well documented. In European waters, the stickleback is the only fish that can bring laboratory and field studies together and allow the true impact of endocrine disruptors on fish populations to be evaluated.
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Detection and assessment of androgenic potency of endocrine-disrupting chemicals using three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus.
Environmental sciences : an international journal of environmental physiology and toxicology, 2007Co-Authors: Masaki Nagae, Alexander P. Scott, Fumie Kawasaki, Takahiro Matsubara, Kiyoshi Soyano, Akihiko Hara, Koji Arizono, Yuka Tanaka, Nobuyuki Ohkubo, Ioanna KatsiadakiAbstract:The male three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) produces a Glue Protein named "spiggin" that is used as a cementing substance for building its nest. The synthesis of spiggin is under the control of androgenic stimulation. Therefore, spiggin is an effective biomarker of any androgenic activity displayed by environmental chemicals, similarly to the use of vitellogenin as an estrogenic biomarker. The aim of this study was to establish a quantification system for spiggin mRNA to develop a highly sensitive system for evaluating environmental androgens. In this process, two different types of cDNA encoding spiggin (SPG-1 and SPG-2) were isolated. They closely resemble each other in primary structure and features. In addition, the transcriptions of both spiggin gene were induced by only androgenic stimulation in a receptor-mediated manner. These findings suggest the multiplicity albeit specificity of spiggin in the stickleback. The quantification system for spiggin mRNA was established using a real-time RT-PCR technique. This system enables accurate quantification within a wide range of spiggin mRNA from 10(1) to 10(6) copies.
Subhas C. Kundu - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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silk fibroin for skin injury repair where do things stand
Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 2019Co-Authors: Mazaher Gholipourmalekabadi, Sunaina Sapru, Subhas C. Kundu, Ali Samadikuchaksaraei, David L Kaplan, Rui L. ReisAbstract:Abstract Several synthetic and natural materials are used in soft tissue engineering and regenerative medicine with varying degrees of success. Among them, silkworm silk Protein fibroin, a naturally occurring Protein-based biomaterial, exhibits many promising characteristics such as biocompatibility, controllable biodegradability, tunable mechanical properties, aqueous preparation, minimal inflammation in host tissue, low cost and ease of use. Silk fibroin is often used alone or in combination with other materials in various formats and is also a promising delivery system for bioactive compounds as part of such repair scenarios. These properties make silk fibroin an excellent biomaterial for skin tissue engineering and repair applications. This review focuses on the promising characteristics and recent advances in the use of silk fibroin for skin wound healing and/or soft-tissue repair applications. The benefits and limitations of silk fibroin as a scaffolding biomaterial in this context are also discussed. Statement of significance Silk Protein fibroin is a natural biomaterial with important biological and mechanical properties for soft tissue engineering applications. Silk fibroin is obtained from silkworms and can be purified using alkali or enzyme based degumming (removal of Glue Protein sericin) procedures. Fibroin is used alone or in combination with other materials in different scaffold forms, such as nanofibrous mats, hydrogels, sponges or films tailored for specific applications. The investigations carried out using silk fibroin or its blends in skin tissue engineering have increased dramatically in recent years due to the advantages of this unique biomaterial. This review focuses on the promising characteristics of silk fibroin for skin wound healing and/or soft-tissue repair applications.
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Fabrication of sericin nanoparticles for controlled gene delivery
RSC Adv., 2014Co-Authors: Saroj Kumar Das, Tuli Dey, Subhas C. KunduAbstract:Protein based nanoparticles are functionally efficient for drug or gene delivery due to their biodegradable nature and easy elimination from the body. Silk, a natural biomaterial, is being used extensively as drug/biomolecule delivery system. Silk Protein sericin (Glue Protein) coates the silk fibers and is discarded as a waste product in the textile industry. As a potential biomaterial, sericin has multiple advantages due to its hydrophilic and cytocompatible nature. In this study, sericin based nanoparticles were prepared by a Protein de-solvation method with a diameter of 100–150 nm. The structural morphology, surface charge and cytocompatibility were measured against mouse fibroblast. Modification of the surface charge (from anionic to cationic) was done to achieve optimum DNA binding. The cellular uptake of the FITC conjugated nanoparticles is analyzed and followed up by the delivery of extracellular genes within the fibroblasts. The successful expression of the green fluorescence Protein confirms the prospective use of natural silk Protein sericin based nanoparticles as a therapeutic DNA delivery system.
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The fractal self-assembly of the silk Protein sericin
Soft Matter, 2010Co-Authors: Tejas S. Khire, Subhas C. Kundu, Joydip Kundu, Vamsi K. YadavalliAbstract:Silk consists primarily of two Proteins—a fibrous core Protein, fibroin, and a Glue Protein, sericin, which envelops the fibroin fibers with sticky layers thus helping in the formation of cocoon, achieved by cementing the silk fibers together. Sericin, a water soluble Protein, has traditionally been discarded in silk processing, despite great potential for use as a biomaterial. Here we show that this Glue Protein, sericin, has the ability to form self-assembled nano and microstructures with hierarchical self-similarity across length scales in the form of a diffusion-limited, fractal assembly. Sericin obtained from two silkworms, a domesticated mulberry Bombyx mori and a wild non-mulberry Antheraea mylitta, were studied, with particular insight into its structure and morphology as it dried on a surface. High-resolution atomic force microscopy was used to image the self-assembled Protein, with investigations on the various factors that influenced this process. We describe the self-assembly patterns formed by the sericin Protein and analyze the images based on the theory of diffusion limited aggregation to explain the fractal nature of these architectures observed. The unique physical behavior and fractal nature of this Glue Protein may represent a key step in understanding its biological relevance as well as the role it plays in the assembly and formation of silks.
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natural protective Glue Protein sericin bioengineered by silkworms potential for biomedical and biotechnological applications
Progress in Polymer Science, 2008Co-Authors: Subhas C. Kundu, Biraja C Dash, Rupesh Dash, David L KaplanAbstract:Silk Proteins consist of a fibrous core Protein, fibroin, and Glue Proteins called sericins, which envelop the fibroin fiber with successive sticky layers that help in the formation of a cocoon by cementing together the silk fibers. This system is essentially a Protein–fiber composite system, with fibers of the high-molecular-weight fibroin Proteins surrounded by the Glue-like continuous phase of the sericin. In mulberry silk produced by Bombyx mori, Ser1 and Ser2 are the two major genes encoding for sericin. Ser1 is the most abundant silk sericin of B. mori and consists of repeats of a 38-amino acid motif that contributes towards the hydrophilicity of sericin. The Protein has partially been characterized from non-mulberry silkworms like the tropical tasar Antheraea mylitta, and studied for various potential applications because of its unique biochemical and biophysical properties. These applications include the skincare and food industries, as coating material for biomedical applications like anticoagulants, in anticancer drugs, for drug delivery, and in tissue engineering. Sericin promotes proliferation of cells when used as a constituent of cell culture in serum-free media. Sericin also supports cell adhesion and proliferation when used in pure form and/or blended in matrices. Sericin films, 3D scaffolds, nanoparticles, composites, conjugated drugs, and recombinant sericins offer potential future options for these needs.
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Natural protective Glue Protein, sericin bioengineered by silkworms: Potential for biomedical and biotechnological applications ☆
Progress in Polymer Science, 2008Co-Authors: Subhas C. Kundu, Biraja C Dash, Rupesh Dash, David L KaplanAbstract:Silk Proteins consist of a fibrous core Protein, fibroin, and Glue Proteins called sericins, which envelop the fibroin fiber with successive sticky layers that help in the formation of a cocoon by cementing together the silk fibers. This system is essentially a Protein–fiber composite system, with fibers of the high-molecular-weight fibroin Proteins surrounded by the Glue-like continuous phase of the sericin. In mulberry silk produced by Bombyx mori, Ser1 and Ser2 are the two major genes encoding for sericin. Ser1 is the most abundant silk sericin of B. mori and consists of repeats of a 38-amino acid motif that contributes towards the hydrophilicity of sericin. The Protein has partially been characterized from non-mulberry silkworms like the tropical tasar Antheraea mylitta, and studied for various potential applications because of its unique biochemical and biophysical properties. These applications include the skincare and food industries, as coating material for biomedical applications like anticoagulants, in anticancer drugs, for drug delivery, and in tissue engineering. Sericin promotes proliferation of cells when used as a constituent of cell culture in serum-free media. Sericin also supports cell adhesion and proliferation when used in pure form and/or blended in matrices. Sericin films, 3D scaffolds, nanoparticles, composites, conjugated drugs, and recombinant sericins offer potential future options for these needs.
Alexander P. Scott - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Variation in the reproductive potential of Schistocephalus infected male sticklebacks is associated with 11-ketotestosterone titre
Hormones and Behavior, 2011Co-Authors: Vicki Macnab, Alexander P. Scott, Ioanna Katsiadaki, Iain BarberAbstract:Abstract Parasites can impact host reproduction by interfering with host endocrine systems, but the adaptive nature of such effects is disputed. Schistocephalus solidus plerocercoids are parasites of three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus that are often associated with impaired host reproduction. Here, we relate reproductive behavior and physiology to levels of the androgen 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) in naturally infected and non-infected male sticklebacks from two UK populations. In one population infected males harbored heavy infections and showed uniformly reduced 11KT titres and kidney spiggin (nesting Glue Protein) content compared to non-infected fish. However in a second population infection levels were more variable and males with smaller infections recorded 11KT and spiggin titres that overlapped those of non-infected fish; among infected males from this population 11KT and kidney spiggin also both correlated negatively with infection severity. Male reproductive behavior correlated closely with 11KT titre in both populations, and infected males with high 11KT levels exhibited normal reproductive behavior. Our results suggest that Schistocephalus infection per se does not block reproductive development in male sticklebacks, and that some male fish may have the ability to breed whilst infected. Our results are not consistent with the hypothesis that Schistocephalus adaptively castrates male hosts via endocrine disruption; rather they support the hypothesis that reproductive disruption is a side effect of the energetic costs of infection.
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Intercalibration exercise using a stickleback endocrine disrupter screening assay.
Environmental toxicology and chemistry, 2008Co-Authors: Yyvonne T. Allen, Ian Mayer, Alexander P. Scott, Ioanna Katsiadaki, Peter Matthiessen, Tom G. Pottinger, Cecile Jolly, Andrew Smith, Paul Eccles, Matthew B SandersAbstract:The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is currently validating a short-term fish screening protocol for endocrine disrupters (estrogens, androgens, and their antagonists and aromatase inhibitors), using three core species: fathead minnow, Japanese medaka, and zebrafish. The main endpoints proposed for the first phase of validation of the screen are vitellogenin (VTG) concentration, gross morphology (secondary sexual characteristics and gonado-somatic index), and gonadal histopathology. A similar protocol is concurrently being developed in the United Kingdom using the three-spined stickleback, with identical endpoints to those for the core species and, in addition, a unique androgen-specific endpoint in the form of spiggin (Glue Protein) induction. To assess the suitability of this species for inclusion in the OECD protocol alongside the core species, an intercalibration was conducted using 17β-estradiol (a natural estrogen) and trenbolone (a synthetic androgen), thus mimicking a previous intercalibration with the core species. All three participating laboratories detected statistically significant increases in VTG in males after 14 d exposure to nominal concentrations of 100 ng/L 17β-estradiol and statistically significant increases in spiggin in females after 14 d exposure to nominal concentrations of 5,000 ng/L trenbolone. The stickleback screen is reliable, possessing both relevant and reproducible endpoints for the detection of potent estrogens and androgens. Further work is underway to assess the relevance and suitability of the screen for weakly acting estrogens, anti-androgens, and aromatase inhibitors.
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Three-spined stickleback: an emerging model in environmental endocrine disruption.
Environmental sciences : an international journal of environmental physiology and toxicology, 2007Co-Authors: Ioanna Katsiadaki, Kiyoshi Soyano, Masaki Nagae, Marion Sebire, Matthew B Sanders, Alexander P. ScottAbstract:The three-spined stickleback, a small teleost species with habitats that range from full marine to fresh water bodies across the whole Northern hemisphere, has a number of advantages for endocrine disruption research. It is the only teleost species with an unambiguous biomarker for androgens, the presence of the Glue Protein spiggin in the male kidney, which can be measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The androgen assay has been adopted to detect antiandrogens in two different ways and an homologous ELISA for stickleback vitellogenin is also available. DNA markers for molecular sex determination are available; thus, sex ratios can also be used for in situ biomonitoring. In addition, the critical period of sexual differentiation has been determined and the occurrence of intersex fish has been reported several times. The species full genome sequence is almost complete. All aspects of stickleback biology (ecology, evolution, behavior, physiology, endocrinology) are well documented. In European waters, the stickleback is the only fish that can bring laboratory and field studies together and allow the true impact of endocrine disruptors on fish populations to be evaluated.
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Detection and assessment of androgenic potency of endocrine-disrupting chemicals using three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus.
Environmental sciences : an international journal of environmental physiology and toxicology, 2007Co-Authors: Masaki Nagae, Alexander P. Scott, Fumie Kawasaki, Takahiro Matsubara, Kiyoshi Soyano, Akihiko Hara, Koji Arizono, Yuka Tanaka, Nobuyuki Ohkubo, Ioanna KatsiadakiAbstract:The male three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) produces a Glue Protein named "spiggin" that is used as a cementing substance for building its nest. The synthesis of spiggin is under the control of androgenic stimulation. Therefore, spiggin is an effective biomarker of any androgenic activity displayed by environmental chemicals, similarly to the use of vitellogenin as an estrogenic biomarker. The aim of this study was to establish a quantification system for spiggin mRNA to develop a highly sensitive system for evaluating environmental androgens. In this process, two different types of cDNA encoding spiggin (SPG-1 and SPG-2) were isolated. They closely resemble each other in primary structure and features. In addition, the transcriptions of both spiggin gene were induced by only androgenic stimulation in a receptor-mediated manner. These findings suggest the multiplicity albeit specificity of spiggin in the stickleback. The quantification system for spiggin mRNA was established using a real-time RT-PCR technique. This system enables accurate quantification within a wide range of spiggin mRNA from 10(1) to 10(6) copies.
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Use of the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) as a sensitive in vivo test for detection of environmental antiandrogens.
Environmental Health Perspectives, 2005Co-Authors: Ioanna Katsiadaki, Steven Morris, Christopher Squires, Mark R. Hurst, Jonathan David James, Alexander P. ScottAbstract:We have previously shown that exposure to exogenous androgens causes female sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to produce the Glue Protein, spiggin, in their kidneys. This Protein can be quantif...
Ian Mayer - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Plasma 11-ketotestosterone and testosterone levels, kidney size, Glueing behaviour, kidney Glue-Protein-mRNA, LH-β-mRNA and FSH-β-mRNA expression in courting and in paternal male three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus
Journal of Fish Biology, 2013Co-Authors: Miklós K. Páll, Per-erik Olsson, Anna Hellqvist, Ian Mayer, Monika Schmitz, Bertil BorgAbstract:Plasma 11-ketotestosterone and testosterone levels, kidney size, Glueing behaviour, kidney Glue-Protein-mRNA, LH-β-mRNA and FSH-β-mRNA expression in courting and in paternal male three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus
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Intercalibration exercise using a stickleback endocrine disrupter screening assay.
Environmental toxicology and chemistry, 2008Co-Authors: Yyvonne T. Allen, Ian Mayer, Alexander P. Scott, Ioanna Katsiadaki, Peter Matthiessen, Tom G. Pottinger, Cecile Jolly, Andrew Smith, Paul Eccles, Matthew B SandersAbstract:The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is currently validating a short-term fish screening protocol for endocrine disrupters (estrogens, androgens, and their antagonists and aromatase inhibitors), using three core species: fathead minnow, Japanese medaka, and zebrafish. The main endpoints proposed for the first phase of validation of the screen are vitellogenin (VTG) concentration, gross morphology (secondary sexual characteristics and gonado-somatic index), and gonadal histopathology. A similar protocol is concurrently being developed in the United Kingdom using the three-spined stickleback, with identical endpoints to those for the core species and, in addition, a unique androgen-specific endpoint in the form of spiggin (Glue Protein) induction. To assess the suitability of this species for inclusion in the OECD protocol alongside the core species, an intercalibration was conducted using 17β-estradiol (a natural estrogen) and trenbolone (a synthetic androgen), thus mimicking a previous intercalibration with the core species. All three participating laboratories detected statistically significant increases in VTG in males after 14 d exposure to nominal concentrations of 100 ng/L 17β-estradiol and statistically significant increases in spiggin in females after 14 d exposure to nominal concentrations of 5,000 ng/L trenbolone. The stickleback screen is reliable, possessing both relevant and reproducible endpoints for the detection of potent estrogens and androgens. Further work is underway to assess the relevance and suitability of the screen for weakly acting estrogens, anti-androgens, and aromatase inhibitors.
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detection of environmental androgens a novel method based on enzyme linked immunosorbent assay of spiggin the stickleback gasterosteus aculeatus Glue Protein
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2002Co-Authors: Ioanna Katsiadaki, Mark R. Hurst, A P Scott, Peter Matthiessen, Ian MayerAbstract:We report the development and validation of a novel in vivo biomarker test for waterborne androgens. During breeding, male sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) manufacture a Glue Protein, spiggin, in their kidneys that they use to build their nests. Spiggin production is under the control of androgens. Until now, however, it has only been possible to quantify its production by measurement of the height of kidney epithelial cells. In the present study, we report the development of an enzyme-linked im- munosorbent assay (ELISA) for spiggin and demonstrate its application to the measurement of spiggin in the kidneys of female sticklebacks that have been exposed to androgens in water. Results from the ELISA procedure revealed a strong correlation with measurement of kidney epithelial cell height (r 2 5 0.93). However, the ELISA was much quicker and had a considerably higher response range (100,000-fold vs fourfold). Clear, graded responses in spiggin production were obtained by exposing intact females to increasing concentrations of 17a-methyltestosterone and 5a-dihydrotestosterone over three-week test periods. The lowest effective concentrations for these two steroids were 100 ng/L and 3 mg/L, respectively. Female sticklebacks that were exposed to pulp mill effluent also produced spiggin in their kidneys. Possession of an androgen-regulated Protein by the female stickleback makes it a unique bioassay organism for detecting androgenic contamination in the aquatic environment.
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the potential of the three spined stickleback gasterosteus aculeatus l as a combined biomarker for oestrogens and androgens in european waters
Marine Environmental Research, 2002Co-Authors: Ioanna Katsiadaki, A P Scott, Ian MayerAbstract:Abstract The majority of endocrine disruption studies in Europe have been on non-indigenous species (some of them tropical!)—and none of which has traits that make them suitable for the detection of androgenic compounds. To overcome these problems, we have been developing the stickleback as a model biomarker for testing the effect of endocrine disrupters in European waters. Its advantages are: it is the only fish with a quantifiable in vivo androgen and anti-androgen endpoint (the production of the Glue Protein, spiggin, by the kidney); it is the only fish in which it will be possible to simultaneously test oestrogenic and androgenic properties of compound; it has a genetic sex marker; it is found in all EU countries; it survives and breeds in both seawater and freshwater; it is extremely robust and can be readily deployed in situ; it displays a variety of pronounced reproductive behaviours; it has a simple and short life cycle, low fecundity and high egg/fry survival rates.
Jean-marc Porcher - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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A new ELISA for the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) spiggin, using antibodies against synthetic peptide
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part C: Toxicology and Pharmacology, 2008Co-Authors: Wilfried Sanchez, C Goin, François Brion, Anders Goksøyr, P.e. Olsson, Jean-marc PorcherAbstract:The aim of this study was to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay to quantify spiggin in the three-spined stickleback. Spiggin is a Glue Protein produced in the kidney of male three-spined stickleback under the control of androgens during the breeding period. Disturbances of spiggin production in male fish and abnormal induction of spiggin in female fish are considered as valuable biomarkers of exposure to (anti-)androgenic chemicals. Polyclonal antibodies against a peptide sequence of spiggin (HRD-16) were used and the specificity of the antibodies was verified by Western blotting and direct ELISA experiments. By using HRD-16 antibodies and spiggin standard preparation, a competitive ELISA was set-up and validated. This assay appears sensitive, with a detection limit of 0.5 U/mL, and specific, as shown by the competition curves, obtained by serial dilution of male and female kidney homogenates, that were parallel to the spiggin standard curves. The ability of the spiggin ELISA to quantify spiggin induction was achieved by exposing male and female three-spined sticklebacks to 0.1 and 1 micro g/L of methyltestosterone. The results show a significant dose-dependent induction of spiggin in methyltestosterone-exposed female fish compared to controls.
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A new ELISA for the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) spiggin, using antibodies against synthetic peptide
Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Toxicology & pharmacology : CBP, 2007Co-Authors: Wilfried Sanchez, Per-erik Olsson, C Goin, François Brion, Anders Goksøyr, Jean-marc PorcherAbstract:The aim of this study was to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay to quantify spiggin in the three-spined stickleback. Spiggin is a Glue Protein produced in the kidney of male three ...