Effects of butachlor on estrogen receptor, vitellogenin and P450 aromatase gene expression in the early life stage of zebrafish

Butachlor has adverse effects on fecundity and disrupts sex hormone homeostasis in adult zebrafish, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unclear. In the present study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to various concentrations of butachlor from 2 h post-fertilization (hpf) to 30 days post-fertilization (dpf). The transcription of genes involved estrogen receptors (ERα, ERβ1 and ERβ2), vitellogenins (VTG I and II), and cytochrome P450 aromatase (CYP19a) was analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR. The results showed that there was no significant alteration in the expression of VTGI, ERα, ERβ1, ERβ2 and CYP19a after 30 days of butachlor exposure, whereas the transcription of VTG II gene was significantly up-regulated in zebrafish exposed to 100 μg/L butachlor. It is suggested that butachlor may be a weak estrogen, and more endpoints need to be investigated to assess the effects of butachlor on the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal axis of zebrafish.