Genetic Susceptibility in Ecosystems: The Challenge for Ecotoxicology

Evenden, Andrew J.; Depledge, Michael H.

doi:10.2307/3433293

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 16 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…In classical toxicology and in labora tory-based ecotoxicology the acquisition of dose−response curves implies genotypic constancy. But populations are not genetically homogeneous across their distribution ranges (); thus, they can be subject locally to evolutionary processes and modified dose−response relationships ( − ) (Figure ). Moreover, two or more (hypothetical) popula tions of a species that are exposed to identical stressful conditions at different localities across the distribution range will not necessarily both/all evolve identical, or indeed any, locally adapted ecotypes ( − ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microevolution and Ecotoxicology of Metals in Invertebrates

Morgan

Kille

Stürzenbaum

2007

Environ. Sci. Technol.

183

117

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Risk assessment of metal-contaminated habitats based on responses in the field is complicated by the evolution of local, metal-resistant ecotypes. The unpredictability of occurrence of genetically determined adaptive traits, in terms of site-specific geochemistry, a population's inferred exposure history, and in the physiology of resistance, exacerbates the problem. Micro-evolutionary events warrant the attention of ecotoxicologists because they undermine the application of the bedrock of toxicology, the dose-response curve, to in situ field assessments. Here we survey the evidence for the existence of genetically differentiated, metal-resistant, invertebrate populations; we also describe some of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the adaptations. Quantitative changes in tissue-metal partitioning, and in the molecular and cellular responses (biomarkers)to alterations in internal bioreactive metal pools, are widely accepted as indicators of toxicity and/or exposure in free-living organisms. Both can be modulated by resistance. The understanding that all genomes are intrinsicallyflexible, with subtle sequence changes in promoter regions or epigenetic adjustments conferring significant phenotypic consequences, is deemed highly relevant. Equally relevant is the systems biology insight that genes and proteins are woven into networks. We advocate that biomarker studies should work toward assimilating and exploiting these biological realities through monitoring the activities of suites of genes (transcriptomics) and their expressed products (proteomics), as well as profiling the metabolite signatures of individuals (metabolomics) and by using neutral genetic markers to genotype populations. Ecotoxicology requires robust tools that recognize the imprint of evolution on the constitution of field populations, as well as sufficient mechanistic understanding of the molecular-genetic observations to interpret them in meaningful environmental diagnostic ways.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microevolution and Ecotoxicology of Metals in Invertebrates

Morgan

Kille

Stürzenbaum

2007

Environ. Sci. Technol.

183

117

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“…6). The strong influence of an individual’s clutch ID on the major intermoult duration also suggests a genetic role in the resistance to multiple stressors, which is a major challenge in ecotoxicology (Evenden & Depledge, 1997; Wirgin & Waldman, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An affordable and automated imaging approach to acquire highly resolved individual data—an example of copepod growth in response to multiple stressors

Heuschele¹,

Lode²,

Andersen³

et al. 2019

PeerJ

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Individual trait variation is essential for populations to cope with multiple stressors and continuously changing environments. The immense number of possible stressor combinations and the influence of phenotypic variation makes experimental testing for effects on organisms challenging. The acquisition of such data requires many replicates and is notoriously laborious. It is further complicated when responses occur over short time periods. To overcome such challenges, we developed an automated imaging platform to acquire temporally highly resolved individual data. We tested this platform by exposing copepods to a combination of a biotic stressor (predator cues) and a toxicant (copper) and measured the growth response of individual copepods. We tested the automatically acquired data against published manually acquired data with much lower temporal resolution. We find the same general potentiating effects of predator cues on the adverse effects of copper, and the influence of an individual’s clutch identity on its ability to resist stress, between the data obtained from low and high temporal resolution. However, when using the high temporal resolution, we also uncovered effects of clutch ID on the timing and duration of stage transitions, which highlights the importance of considering phenotypic variation in ecotoxicological testing. Phenotypic variation is usually not acknowledged in ecotoxicological testing. Our approach is scalable, affordable, and adjustable to accommodate both aquatic and terrestrial organisms, and a wide range of visually detectable endpoints. We discuss future extensions that would further widen its applicability.

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“…Om te kan vasstel wanneer daar van die "normale" variasie afgewyk word as gevolg van 'n stresfaktor, moet die "normale" genetiese aspekte binne die verskillende hiërargiese vlakke in die biologiese omgewing beter verstaan word. 48 Hierdie genetiese variasie is noodsaaklik vir die oorlewing van alle lewende organismes -'n groot geenpoel dra by tot die totale oorlewing van 'n bevolking en bepaal uiteindelik die sukses van 'n spesie in 'n bepaalde ekologiese nis. Bevolkingsgenetici meen dat hierdie variasie so groot kan wees dat geen twee lede van 'n bevolking presies dieselfde is by alle geenlokusse nie; dat selfs klonale organismes verskil as gevolg van somatiese mutasies wat voorkom tydens ontwikkeling.…”

Section: Die Invloed Van Bio-informatika En Genomika ("Genomics")unclassified

“…Vanuit 'n genetiese oogpunt is elke lid van 'n bevolking moontlik uniek, met 'n geenkombinasie wat nooit weer gedurende die geskiedenis van die spesie sal voorkom nie. 48 Hierdie kombinasie kan honderde, duisende, of selfs miljoene geenvolgordes behels, met elkeen wat op sy beurt kodeer vir 'n soortgelyke groot getal polimorfiese proteïne. Dit is dus verstaanbaar dat, binne 'n bevolking van diere of plante, hierdie geenkombinasies die gevoeligheid van organismes vir toksiese chemikalieë sal beïnvloed.…”

Section: Die Invloed Van Bio-informatika En Genomika ("Genomics")unclassified

Old and new tendencies in ecotoxicology: the relevance of stress ecology and ecotoxicogenomics

Reinecke

2005

Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskr Natuurwetenskap Tegnol

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UITTREKSEL ABSTRACT Old and new tendencies in ecotoxicology: the relevance of stress ecology and ecotoxicogenomics The relatively young science, ecotoxicology, has changed substantially during the last decade from a more practically oriented science to a basic one with more focus on problem solving and the search for causalities in the study of effects. In this article the origin and position of the discipline is analysed, as well as the influence of new developments in the fields of bio-informatics and genetics. The merit of this is discussed and the conclusion made that ecotoxicology can be seen as a separate science, notwithstanding its multidisciplinarity.A review is given of the historic development of the subject and its connection with broad ecology as an example of stress ecology. The importance of incorporating the most recent research developments in biology into ecotoxicology, such as bio-informatics, multivariate statistics and genomics, is discussed. The view is expressed that ecotoxicology will be changing in the near future to include ecotoxicogenomics. This will be a result of the interaction between ecotoxicology and ecology on the cross roads with genomics and bioinformatics. INLEIDINGEkotoksikologie is een van die jongste vertakkings van die wetenskap en, selfs na bykans veertig jaar, kan dit nog nie presies gedefinieer word nie -deels weens die feit dat dit 'n multidissiplinêre wetenskap is wat gebruik maak van beginsels en kennis uit die velde van die biologie, chemie, biochemie, mikrobiologie, grondkunde, ensovoorts. Die oorspronklike definisie word gewoonlik toegeskryf aan Truhaut 1 wat dit definieer as "die tak van toksikologie wat te doen het met die studie van toksiese effekte, wat veroorsaak word deur natuurlike of sintetiese besoedelingstowwe, op die integrale bestanddele van ekostelsels, dierlik (insluitende die mens), plantaardig en mikrobiologies". Heelwat wysigings en verskillende sienings is deur latere outeurs gepropageer. Moriarty 2 definieer ekotoksikologie as "die studie van die effekte van besoedelingstowwe op ekostelsels". Butler 3 beskou ekotoksikologie as 'n "studie van effekte van vrygestelde besoedelingstowwe op die omgewing en op die organismes wat daarin voorkom". Hayes 4 het meer onlangs tot die verwarring toegevoeg deur omgewingstoksikologie te definieer as "alle aspekte van die toksikologie wat die klem laat val op ander organismes as mense en hulle gedomestiseerde diere" versus ekologiese toksikologie as "die studie van alle toksikante wat deur lewende organismes geproduseer word en die ekologiese effekte wat veroorsaak word deur hierdie toksiese stowwe". In teenstelling hiermee volstaan Klaassen en Eaton 5 met die omskrywing dat "omgewingstoksikologie fokus op die impak op biologiese organismes deur chemiese besoedelingstowwe wat in die omgewing gevind word".Die gebruik van die meerderheid toksiese stowwe is onder streng beheer in ontwikkelde lande. Regulerende agentskappe soos die OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) in Europa en die EPA...

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Genetic Susceptibility in Ecosystems: The Challenge for Ecotoxicology

Cited by 7 publications

References 16 publications

Microevolution and Ecotoxicology of Metals in Invertebrates

Microevolution and Ecotoxicology of Metals in Invertebrates

An affordable and automated imaging approach to acquire highly resolved individual data—an example of copepod growth in response to multiple stressors

Old and new tendencies in ecotoxicology: the relevance of stress ecology and ecotoxicogenomics

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