Bisphenol A induces superfeminization in the Ramshorn snail Marisa cornuarietis (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia) at environmentally relevant concentrations

  • Previous investigations have shown that bisphenol A (BPA) induces a superfeminization syndrome in the freshwater snail Marisa cornuarietis at concentrations as low as 1 μg/L. Superfemales are characterized by the formation of additional female organs, enlarged accessory sex glands, gross malformations of the pallial oviduct, and a stimulation of egg and clutch production, resulting in increased female mortality. However, these studies were challenged on the basis of incomplete experimentation. Therefore, the objective of the current approach was to bridge several gaps in knowledge by conducting additional experiments. In an initial series of experiments, study results from the reproductive phase of the snails were evaluated in the sub-micrograms per liter range. Before and after the spawning season, superfemale responses were observed [NOEC (no observed effect concentration) 7.9 ng/L, EC10 (effective concentration at 10%) 13.9 ng/L], which were absent during the spawning season. A further experiment investigated the temperature dependence of BPA responses by exposing snails at two temperatures in parallel. The adverse effect of BPA was at least partially masked at 27°C (EC10 998 ng/L) when compared with 20°C (EC10 14.8 ng/L). In M. cornuarietis, BPA acts as an estrogen receptor (ER) agonist, because effects were completely antagonized by a co-exposure to tamoxifen and Faslodex. Antiandrogenic effects of BPA, such as a significant decrease in penis length at 20°C, were also observed. Competitive receptor displacement experiments indicate the presence of androgen- and estrogen-specific binding sites. The affinity for BPA of the estrogen binding sites in M. cornuarietis is higher than that of the ER in aquatic vertebrates. The results emphasize that prosobranchs are affected by BPA at lower concentrations than are other wildlife groups, and the findings also highlight the importance of exposure conditions.

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Author:Jörg OehlmannORCiDGND, Ulrike Schulte-OehlmannORCiDGND, Jean Bachmann, Matthias Oetken, Ilka Lutz, Werner Kloas, Thomas A. TernesGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30-45222
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.8065
ISSN:0091-6765
ISSN:1552-9924
Pubmed Id:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16818258
Parent Title (English):Environmental health perspectives
Publisher:National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Place of publication:Research Triangle Park, N.C. [u. a.]
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2007/06/13
Year of first Publication:2005
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2007/06/13
Tag:temperature; xenoestrogen
Marisa cornuarietis; bisphenol A; endocrine disruptor; hazard assessment; low-dose effects; prosobranchia; reproductive toxicity; superfemale
Volume:114
Issue:Supplement 1
Page Number:7
First Page:127
Last Page:133
Note:
Copyright: This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original DOI
Source:Environ Health Perspectives 2006 Volume 114, Supplement 1, April 2006, S. 127–133. - doi: 10.1289/ehp.8065. - Auch in: The Ecological Relevance of Chemically Induced Endocrine Disruption in Wildlife
HeBIS-PPN:188752951
Institutes:Biowissenschaften / Institut für Ökologie, Evolution und Diversität
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Sammlungen:Sammlung Biologie / Sondersammelgebiets-Volltexte
Licence (German):License LogoDeutsches Urheberrecht