Highlights
- RCP8.5 scenario modulated some of the long-lasting physiological responses to EE2.
- RCP8.5-EE2 group led to sex and tissue specific responses.
- RCP8.5-EE2 scenario resulted in lower body length at five months post-contamination.
- RCP8.5 reduced survival rate of embryo-larval but not juvenile stages.
- Early-life exposure to EE2 led to stickleback feminisation.
- Early-life exposure to EE2, led to long-lasting effect on stickleback physiological responses.
Abstract
Ocean warming and acidification are climate change related drivers that impact the physiology of marine organisms and their ability to cope with future environments. Marine ecosystems are also facing pollution from an ever-growing diversity of chemical contaminants, including endocrine disruptors. A common example is the 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), which can affect the endocrine regulation of fish and hence potentially impact their fitness. Thus, fish have to cope to multiple climatic and chemical stresses that can interact, influencing the overall impact on fish physiology. In this study, we investigated whether the direct and carry-over effect of early exposure to EE2 (15 ng.L−1; one month during embryo-larval development) are modulated by the RCP8.5 scenario (+3°C; -0.4 pH unit). Five months post-contamination, we measured survival, growth and reproductive axis of prepubertal sticklebacks. Our findings revealed that the survival of juveniles, when exposed to EE2 during early development, is reduced under Current but not RCP8.5 scenario. Furthermore, under RCP8.5-EE2, a significantly lower body length was observed. Sex and tissue specific responses in terms of the expression profiles of genes related to development and sexual maturation was reported. Interestingly, significant interaction between RCP8.5 and EE2 was observed for the expression of ovarian aromatase (cyp19a1a), suggesting a long-lasting estrogenic effect under RCP8.5 scenario. Additionally, the skewed sex ratios and the presence of intersex individuals in both scenarios early exposed to EE2 suggested a feminization due to EE2, which could potentially disrupt sexual maturation and future reproduction. Hence, the early EE2 exposure had carry-over physiological effects on sticklebacks, and these effects can be modulated by the climate scenario. This underscores the importance of conducting long-term multi-stress studies to comprehensively understand the vulnerability on fish populations in future environments.
Devergne J., Servili A., Jodet S., Brandicourt T., Lebigre C., Collet S., Mouchel O., Fleury M. L., Roussel S. & Loizeau V., 2025. The impact of an early exposure to 17α-ethynylestradiol on the physiology of the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) under current and future climatic scenarios. Aquatic Toxicology 287: 107528. doi: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2025.107528. Article.
