Dear MARMAM colleagues,

On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce the publication of our new toxicogenomic research: Associations between organohalogen exposure and thyroid- and steroid-related gene responses in St. Lawrence Estuary belugas and minke whales

Simond, A. E., Houde, M., Lesage, V., Michaud, R., Zbinden, D. and Verreault, J.

Download the paper for free before July 13, 2019 here: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Z6MD,ashtxl9

Elevated concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and emerging halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) have been reported in tissues of the endangered St. Lawrence Estuary (Canada) beluga population as well as in minke whales visiting that same feeding area. This study examined the linkages between blubber concentrations of POPs and emerging HFRs, and transcription in skin of genes involved in the regulation of thyroid and steroid axes in belugas and minke whales from the St. Lawrence Estuary. In belugas, concentrations of PCBs, OCs and hexabromobenzene (HBB) were positively correlated with the transcription of thyroid- and/or steroid-related genes, while Dec-604 CB concentrations were negatively associated with the transcription of glucocorticoid and thyroid genes. In minke whales, PBDE concentrations changed positively with Esrβ transcript levels and HBB concentrations negatively with Nr3c1 transcripts. Present results suggest that several biological functions including reproduction and energetic metabolism may represent potential targets for organohalogens in these whales.

This study has been conducted in collaboration with Université du Québec à Montréal, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the GREMM and the Meriscope.