Bivalve mollusks are equally sensitive to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin's (2,3,7,8-TCDD) effect on gonad development, embryonic development, and epithelial lesion occurrence as higher vertebrates. 2,3,7,8-TCDD alters normal development of reproductive organs and early development in bivalve mollusks at 2 to 20 pg/g wet weight. In both Crassostria virginica and Mya arenaria, 2,3,7,8-TCDD preferentially accumulates into the gonads. The sensitivity of gonad maturation is likely due to disruption of cross-talk between highly conserved steroid, insulin, and metabolic pathways involved in gonad differentiation. The altered gonad development and decreased veliger larval survival can partially explain the lack of self-sustaining bivalve populations in 2,3,7,8-TCDD contaminated estuaries.
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