Long-Term Exposure to Benzo[a]Pyrene Affects Sexual Differentiation and Embryos Toxicity in Three Generations of Marine Medaka (Oryzias Melastigma)

Abstract

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a common environmental disrupting chemical that can cause endocrine disorders in organisms. However, the continued interference effects of BaP on multi-generation fish needs further research. In this study, we performed different periods (G1F1-3, G2F2-3, G3F3) of BaP exposure on marine medaka. We determined the embryo toxicity, and analyzed relative reproductive genes (ERα, cyp19a and vtg1) to predict the sexual differentiation of marine medaka. The results showed that high concentrations of BaP (200 μg·L−1) significantly delayed the hatching time of embryos. Moreover, medium/high concentrations of BaP (20 and 200 μg·L−1) prolonged the sexual maturity time of marine medaka. The relative gene expression of ERα, cyp19a and vtg1 were measured at 5 dpf of embryos. We found that BaP had significantly inhibited the expression of the genes related to female fish development. Consequently, there were more males in the offspring sex ratio at BaP exposure. Overall, BaP can cause embryonic toxicity and abnormal sexual differentiation, while the expression of related reproductive genes can effectively indicate the sex ratio.