Protein expression profiling in the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis tadpoles exposed to the polychlorinated biphenyl mixture aroclor 1254.

Exposure to environmental pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is now taken into account to partly explain the worldwide decline of amphibians. PCBs induce deleterious effects on developing amphibians including deformities and delays in metamorphosis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which they express their toxicity during the development of tadpoles are still largely unknown. A proteomics analysis was performed on developing Xenopus laevis tadpoles exposed from 2 to 5 days postfertilization to either 0.1 or 1 ppm Aroclor 1254, a PCB mixture. Two-dimensional DIGE with a minimal labeling method coupled to nanoflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect and identify proteins differentially expressed under PCBs conditions. Results showed that 59 spots from the 0.1 ppm Aroclor 1254 condition and 57 spots from the 1 ppm Aroclor 1254 condition displayed a significant increase or decrease of abundance compared with the control. In total, 28 proteins were identified. The results suggest that PCBs induce mechanisms against oxidative stress (peroxiredoxins 1 and 2), adaptative changes in the energetic metabolism (enolase 1, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase muscle and brain types), and the implication of the unfolded protein response system (glucose-regulated protein, 58 kDa). They also affect, at least at the highest concentration tested, the synthesis of proteins involved in normal cytogenesis (alpha-tropomyosin, myosin heavy chain, and alpha-actin). For the first time, proteins such as aldehyde dehydrogenase 7A1, CArG binding factor-A, prolyl 4-hydroxylase beta, and nuclear matrix protein 200 were also shown to be up-regulated by PCBs in developing amphibians. These data argue that protein expression reorganization should be taken into account while estimating the toxicological hazard of wild amphibian populations exposed to PCBs.