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No Effect of Lifelong Methylmercury Exposure on Oxidative Status in Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata): A Demonstration of Methylmercury-Induced Selection?

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Abstract

Songbirds exposed to methylmercury (MeHg) often exhibit reduced reproductive success and cognitive abilities. To better understand whether oxidative stress plays a role, we dosed zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) with a contaminated (1.2 ppm MeHg-cysteine) or control diet for their entire lives, including during development in the egg. Levels of antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD1 and SOD2)], oxidative damage (4-hydroxynonenal; 4-HNE), and antioxidant transcription factors [nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2; Nrf2] were measured in the liver and pectoralis muscle of adults. MeHg treatment did not affect levels of 4-HNE or liver SOD2 or Nrf2. Birds in the MeHg treatment differed significantly from controls in pectoralis SOD1 and Nrf2, and tended to differ in liver SOD1 and pectoralis SOD2; however, we detected no overall pattern of effect of MeHg on oxidative status in dosed finches. We suspect that this is a consequence of the differential survival of MeHg-tolerant birds.

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Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by NSF (IOS-1257590 to John Swaddle and DAC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA

    John W. Finger Jr., Yufeng Zhang, Shelby E. Still, Alexander J. Hoffman & Haruka Wada

  2. Department of Biology, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, USA

    Juan Botero & Daniel A. Cristol

  3. School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA

    Andreas N. Kavazis

Authors
  1. John W. Finger Jr.
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  2. Juan Botero
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  3. Yufeng Zhang
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  4. Shelby E. Still
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  5. Alexander J. Hoffman
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  6. Andreas N. Kavazis
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  7. Daniel A. Cristol
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  8. Haruka Wada
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Correspondence to John W. Finger Jr..

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Finger, J.W., Botero, J., Zhang, Y. et al. No Effect of Lifelong Methylmercury Exposure on Oxidative Status in Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata): A Demonstration of Methylmercury-Induced Selection?. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 99, 668–672 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2202-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2202-7

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