Impacts of developmental exposures to the harmful algal bloom toxin domoic acid on neural development and behavior

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can produce potent neurotoxins that accumulate in seafood and affect human health. One HAB toxin of concern is domoic acid (DomA), a glutamate analog produced by the marine diatom Pseudo-nitzschia spp. Current regulatory limits are designed to prevent acute neurotoxicity in adult humans. However, research shows that low-level exposure during early life can lead to long-term changes in behavior, neural connectivity, and brain morphology. To determine the underlying mechanisms of developmental toxicity, this dissertation used zebrafish as a tool to: i) Establish the developmental window of susceptibility for DomA toxicity, ii) Characterize the behavioral consequences of exposures, and iii) Identify the cellular targets and processes perturbed by DomA. I found that DomA exposure particularly at 2 days post fertilization (dpf) led to altered startle response behavior, myelination defects, and the downregulation of axonal and myelin structural genes.

Department dc:contributor.department

Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Panlilio, Jennifer Martinez.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Mark E. Hahn and Neelakanteswar Alum.

• Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering.
• Biology.
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng