Abstract
The emergence of omics approaches in environmental research has enhanced our understanding of the mechanisms underlying toxicity; however, extrapolation from molecular effects to whole-organism and population level outcomes remains a considerable challenge. Using environmentally relevant, sublethal, concentrations of two metals (Cu and Ni), both singly and in binary mixtures, we integrated data from traditional chronic, partial life-cycle toxicity testing and metabolomics to generate a statistical model that was predictive of reproductive impairment in a Daphnia pulex-pulicaria hybrid that was isolated from an historically metal-stressed lake. Furthermore, we determined that the metabolic profiles of organisms exposed in a separate acute assay were also predictive of impaired reproduction following metal exposure. Thus we were able to directly associate molecular profiles to a key population response - reproduction, a key step towards improving environmental risk assessment and management.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 325-329 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Environmental Pollution |
Volume | 212 |
Early online date | 6 Feb 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 2016 |
Keywords
- Ecotoxicology
- Environmental risk assessment
- Metal mixtures
- PLS-R
- Metabolomics
- Mass spectrometry