Understanding the Factors Driving Intra-Specific Variations of Contaminants in Urban-Adapted Birds and their Endocrine and Metabolic Impacts

了解驱动城市适应鸟类污染物特定内变化的因素及其内分泌和代谢影响

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-03291
• 负责人: Verreault, Jonathan
• 金额: $ 4.01万
• 依托单位: Université du Québec à Montréal
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=765241
• 关键词: Understanding; Factors; Driving; Intra; Specific

A growing number of new organic contaminants of potential environmental concern are constantly discharged into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in highly urbanized environments, and have the potential to bioaccumulate and be toxic to the most susceptible wildlife species such as birds. This may be the case for the numerous emerging halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) for which no national or international regulations exist despite their massive (and growing) usage worldwide in a wide range of consumer and industrial products to achieve fire safety standards, that is, to slow down the spread of fire. A recent study conducted by my lab reported unexpectedly high concentrations of the HFR class polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as well as several as yet undetected emerging HFRs in tissues of an abundant urban-adapted avian species, the ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis), breeding in the Montreal area. Evidence from my lab suggests that the endocrine system (e.g., thyroid axis) and certain related endpoints (e.g., energetic metabolism) may be adversely affected in the most HFR-exposed ring-billed gulls. The short-term objectives of the proposed NSERC DG research program will be to investigate: 1) the biological factors governing the bioaccumulation and maternal transfer in ring-billed gulls of novel and emerging HFRs of greatest health concern for wildlife; 2) the in vitro biotransformation capacity in ring-billed gulls towards selected emerging HFRs; and 3) the exposure-related effects and underlying mechanisms of toxicity of selected emerging HFRs on two endocrine axes in ring-billed gulls and chicken via analysis of thyroid hormone and corticosterone levels, mRNA transcription of genes involved in their regulation as well as lipid composition (lipidomics) and field metabolic rate (FMR; measures an animal's total energy expenditure). The novelty and expected significance of the proposed research is that the bioaccumulation, biotransformation, and exposure-related health impacts (e.g., endocrine, metabolic rate, lipid metabolism) on animals exposed to currently used contaminants including HFRs are understudied fields of research. One other significant aspect of this work is the comparative approach, that is, the examination of differences in chemically-induced effects among naturally-exposed bird populations (gull) and an avian model (chicken). This proposed research program will thus provide new knowledge on the dynamics and bioactivity of novel chemical stressors in the Canadian environment. Furthermore, it will represent a unique HQP training opportunity for one Ph.D. and three M.Sc. students as well as five B.Sc. honour students in novel aspects of animal bioenergetics, ecotoxicology, bioenergetics, endocrinology, analytical chemistry, and lipidomics.

在高度城市化的环境中，越来越多的潜在环境关注的新有机污染物不断将其排放到陆地和水生生态系统中，并有可能生物富裕并对鸟类等最易感的野生动植物（如鸟类）有毒。对于众多新兴的卤素阻燃剂（HFRS）来说，可能是这种情况，尽管在全球范围内使用了广泛的消费和工业产品，但它在全球范围内不存在国家或国际法规，以实现火灾安全标准，即减缓火灾的传播。我的实验室进行的一项最新研究报告说，意外的高浓度HFR类多溴二苯基醚（PBDES）以及几个尚未发现的尚未发现的新兴HFR在大量的城市化鸟类物种的组织中，环形孔海鸥（Larus delawarensis）（Larus delawarensis），在Montrotreal地区繁殖。我实验室的证据表明，内分泌系统（例如甲状腺轴）和某些相关的终点（例如，能量代谢）可能会受到最大暴露的环形鸥的不利影响。拟议的NSERC DG研究计划的短期目标是研究：1）研究野生动植物的最大健康问题的新颖和新兴HFR的生物积累和孕产妇转移的生物学因素； 2）环孔鸥的体外生物转化能力朝向选定的新兴HFR； 3）通过分析甲状腺激素和皮质酮水平的分析，在环孔和鸡肉中，与暴露相关的效果和潜在的毒性机制在两个内分泌和鸡肉中的内分泌轴，涉及其调节的基因的mRNA转录以及脂质组成（Lipidomics）和野外代理率（FMANTORINE ANTAR INARIDER ANTOR MATER; MATED AN CONSER AN CONDER;量度）。拟议的研究的新颖性和预期意义在于，生物积累，生物转移和暴露相关的健康影响（例如，内分泌，代谢率，脂质代谢）对暴露于当前使用的污染物在内的动物（包括HFRS）的动物是研究的研究领域。这项工作的另一个重要方面是比较方法，即对天然暴露的鸟类种群（Gull）和鸟类模型（Chicken）（Chicken）的化学诱导作用差异的检查。因此，该提出的研究计划将提供有关加拿大环境中新型化学压力源的动态和生物活性的新知识。此外，它将代表一个博士学位的独特HQP培训机会。和三个硕士学生以及五个B.Sc.尊敬学生在动物生物能学，生态毒理学，生物能学，内分泌学，分析化学和脂质组学的新颖方面的荣誉。