Transcriptome analysis of cadmium exposure in kidney fibroblast cells of the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis)

• Published in: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology
• Main Authors: Ierardi J. L., Veloso A., Mancia A.
• Other Authors: Ierardi, J. L., Veloso, A., Mancia, A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Baleen whale; Cadmium toxicity; Gene expression; Heavy metal; Kidney cell; Mammals; baleen whale; baleen whales; Eubalaena glacialis; North Atlantic; North Atlantic right whale
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/11392/2453648; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2020.108946; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1532045620302465

An 8X15k oligonucleotide microarray was developed consisting of 2334 Eubalaena glacialis probes and 2166 Tursiops truncatus probes and used to measure the effects, at transcriptomic level, of cadmium exposure in right whale kidney fibroblast cells. Cells were exposed to three concentrations (1 μM, 0.1 μM, and 0.01 μM) of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) for three exposure times (1, 4, and 24 h). Cells exposed to 1 μM CdCl2 for 4 h and 24 h showed upregulated genes involved in protection from metal toxicity and oxidative stress, protein renaturation, apoptosis inhibition, as well as several regulators of cellular processes. Downregulated genes represented a suite of functions including cell proliferation, transcription regulation, actin polymerization, and stress fiber synthesis. The collection of differentially expressed genes in this study support proposed mechanisms of cadmium-induced apoptosis such as ubiquitin proteasome system disruption, Ca2+ homeostasis interference, mitochondrial membrane potential collapse, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and cell cycle arrest. The results also have confirmed the right whale microarray as a reproducible tool in measuring differentiated gene expression that could be a valuable asset for transcriptome analysis of other baleen whales and potential health assessment protocols.