engleski

IMPACT OF COASTAL POLLUTION ON EPIGENETICS AND REPRODUCTIVE FITNESS OF MARINE SNAIL HEXAPLEX TRUNCULUS

Hexaplex trunculus is a marine gastropod whose reproductive fitness can be severely affected by very low concentration of antifouling compound trybutil-tin (TBT). TBT has strong xenoandrogen impact in snails, causing development of imposex, e.g. superimposition of male sexual characteristic in females, thereby affecting the fitness of entire populations. TBT is also known as a DNA demethylating agent. The aim of this study was to unravel the interactions between TBT bioaccumulation, reproductive fitness, epigenetic and genetic endpoints in murex snail H. trunculus. Four populations inhabiting polluted sites with intense marine traffic and boat maintenance activity and three inhabiting sites with low anthropogenic impact were sampled in the coastal eastern Adriatic. Higher incidence of imposex was observed in snails inhabiting polluted than the reference sites. Analysis of methylation sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) revealed existence of epigenetic differentiation among populations and lack of genetic population structure. Level of DNA methylation significantly correlated with the imposex level, suggesting epigenetic background of imposex development.

evolution; population epigenetics; fitness; pollution

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