Susan Jobling

Bio: Susan Jobling is an academic researcher from Brunel University London. The author has contributed to research in topics: Rutilus & Environmental exposure. The author has an hindex of 49, co-authored 85 publications receiving 19989 citations. Previous affiliations of Susan Jobling include National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Japan & RMIT University.

Widespread Sexual Disruption in Wild Fish

Abstract: A number of chemicals present in the environment have been shown to mimic or antagonize the actions of steroid hormones, an issue often described as “endocrine disruption/modulation”. There is very little evidence, however, to support the hypothesis that exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals is a global environmental health problem. In this paper, we demonstrate a high incidence of intersexuality in wild populations of riverine fish (roach; Rutilus rutilus) throughout the United Kingdom. These reproductive disturbances are consistent with exposure to hormonally active substances and are associated with discharges from sewage treatment works that are known to contain estrogenic chemicals. This is the first documented example of a widespread sexual disruption in wild populations of any vertebrate and indicates that reproductive and developmental effects do result from exposure to ambient levels of chemicals present in typical British rivers.

Vitellogenesis as a biomarker for estrogenic contamination of the aquatic environment.

Abstract: A rapidly increasing number of chemicals, or their degradation products, are being recognized as possessing estrogenic activity, albeit usually weak. We have found that effluent from sewage treatme...

Environmentally persistent alkylphenolic compounds are estrogenic

Abstract: We show that a number of alkylphenolic compounds, used in a variety of commercial products and found in river water, are estrogenic in fish, birds, and mammals. 4-Octylphenol (OP), 4-nonylphenol, 4nonylphenoxycarboxylic acid, and 4-nonylphenoldiethoxylate were each capable of stimulating vitellogenin gene expression in trout hepatocytes, gene transcription in transfected cells, and the growth of breast cancer cell lines. The most potent of the chemicals is OP, which was able to stimulate these biological responses to a similar extent as 17&estradiol itself, albeit at a lOOO-fold greater concentration. The action of alkylphenols is mediated by the estrogen receptor, as their effects depended on its presence and was blocked by estrogen antagonists. OP, 4-nonylphenol, and 4-nonylphenoxycarboxylic acid appear to possess intrinsic estrogenic activity, because thev compete for binding to the estrogen receptor. Moreo&, it is like& that-they interact with a similar region of the hormone-binding domain as 17fi-estradiol, because the mutant receptor G-525R, which is defective in estrogen binding, is also insensitive to OP. Like 17j3-estradiol, OP is capable of stimulating the activity of both transcriptional activation functions, TAF-1 and TAF-2, in the receptor, as judged by analyzing the activitv of the wild-type and mutant r&eptors-in &ansjentlytranifected cells. The significance of our results will depend to a large extent on the degree of exposure of wildlife and humans to these estrogenic alkylphenolic compounds.

A variety of environmentally persistent chemicals, including some phthalate plasticizers, are weakly estrogenic.

Abstract: Sewage, a complex mixture of organic and inorganic chemicals, is considered to be a major source of environmental pollution. A random screen of 20 organic man-made chemicals present in liquid effluents revealed that half appeared able to interact with the estradiol receptor. This was demonstrated by their ability to inhibit binding of 17 beta-estradiol to the fish estrogen receptor. Further studies, using mammalian estrogen screens in vitro, revealed that the two phthalate esters butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP) and di-n-butylphthalate (DBP) and a food antioxidant, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) were estrogenic; however, they were all less estrogenic than the environmental estrogen octylphenol. Phthalate esters, used in the production of various plastics (including PVC), are among the most common industrial chemicals. Their ubiquity in the environment and tendency to bioconcentrate in animal fat are well known. Neither BBP nor DBP were able to act as antagonists, indicating that, in the presence of endogenous estrogens, their overall effect would be cumulative. Recently, it has been suggested that environmental estrogens may be etiological agents in several human diseases, including disorders of the male reproductive tract and breast and testicular cancers. The current finding that some phthalate compounds and some food additives are weakly estrogenic in vitro, needs to be supported by further studies on their effects in vivo before any conclusions can be made regarding their possible role in the development of these conditions.

Inhibition of testicular growth in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed to estrogenic alkylphenolic chemicals

Abstract: It is becoming evident that an increasing number of widely used industrial and agricultural chemicals are estrogenic. The biodegradation products of a major group of nonionic surfactants, the alkylphenol polyethoxylates, are one such group. Some of these chemicals are widespread aquatic pollutants, and bioconcentrate in aquatic biota. Exposure of male rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to four different alkylphenolic chemicals caused synthesis of vitellogenin, a process normally dependent on endogenous estrogens, and a concomitant inhibition of testicular growth. The magnitude of these estrogenic effects was dependent on the estrogenic potency of the chemical, the stage of reproductive development of the fish, and the concentration of the chemical in the water. These results support the contention that exposure of wildlife to environmentally persistent estrogenic chemicals can result in deleterious reproductive consequences.

疟原虫var基因转换速率变化导致抗原变异[英]／Paul H, Robert P, Christodoulou Z, et al//Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Abstract: 抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1（PfPMP1）与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用，在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员，通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999-2000: a national reconnaissance.

Abstract: To provide the first nationwide reconnaissance of the occurrence of pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants (OWCs) in water resources, the U.S. Geological Survey used five newly developed analytical methods to measure concentrations of 95 OWCs in water samples from a network of 139 streams across 30 states during 1999 and 2000. The selection of sampling sites was biased toward streams susceptible to contamination (i.e. downstream of intense urbanization and livestock production). OWCs were prevalent during this study, being found in 80% of the streams sampled. The compounds detected represent a wide range of residential, industrial, and agricultural origins and uses with 82 of the 95 OWCs being found during this study. The most frequently detected compounds were coprostanol (fecal steroid), cholesterol (plant and animal steroid), N,N-diethyltoluamide (insect repellant), caffeine (stimulant), triclosan (antimicrobial disinfectant), tri(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (fire retardant), and 4-nonylphenol (nonionic detergent metabolite). Measured concentrations for this study were generally low and rarely exceeded drinking-water guidelines, drinking-water health advisories, or aquatic-life criteria. Many compounds, however, do not have such guidelines established. The detection of multiple OWCs was common for this study, with a median of seven and as many as 38 OWCs being found in a given water sample. Little is known about the potential interactive effects (such as synergistic or antagonistic toxicity) that may occur from complex mixtures of OWCs in the environment. In addition, results of this study demonstrate the importance of obtaining data on metabolites to fully understand not only the fate and transport of OWCs in the hydrologic system but also their ultimate overall effect on human health and the environment.

Medscape

Abstract: Secret History: Return of the Black Death Channel 4, 7-8pm In 1348 the Black Death swept through London, killing people within days of the appearance of their first symptoms. Exactly how many died, and why, has long been a mystery. This Secret History documentary follows experts as they pick through the evidence and reveal why the plague killed on such a scale. And they ask, what might be coming next?

Interaction of estrogenic chemicals and phytoestrogens with estrogen receptor beta.

Abstract: The rat, mouse and human estrogen receptor (ER) exists as two subtypes, ER alpha and ER beta, which differ in the C-terminal ligand-binding domain and in the N-terminal transactivation domain. In this study, we investigated the estrogenic activity of environmental chemicals and phytoestrogens in competition binding assays with ER alpha or ER beta protein, and in a transient gene expression assay using cells in which an acute estrogenic response is created by cotransfecting cultures with recombinant human ER alpha or ER beta complementary DNA (cDNA) in the presence of an estrogen-dependent reporter plasmid. Saturation ligand-binding analysis of human ER alpha and ER beta protein revealed a single binding component for [3H]-17beta-estradiol (E2) with high affinity [dissociation constant (Kd) = 0.05 - 0.1 nM]. All environmental estrogenic chemicals [polychlorinated hydroxybiphenyls, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and derivatives, alkylphenols, bisphenol A, methoxychlor and chlordecone] compete with E2 for binding to both ER subtypes with a similar preference and degree. In most instances the relative binding affinities (RBA) are at least 1000-fold lower than that of E2. Some phytoestrogens such as coumestrol, genistein, apigenin, naringenin, and kaempferol compete stronger with E2 for binding to ER beta than to ER alpha. Estrogenic chemicals, as for instance nonylphenol, bisphenol A, o, p'-DDT and 2',4',6'-trichloro-4-biphenylol stimulate the transcriptional activity of ER alpha and ER beta at concentrations of 100-1000 nM. Phytoestrogens, including genistein, coumestrol and zearalenone stimulate the transcriptional activity of both ER subtypes at concentrations of 1-10 nM. The ranking of the estrogenic potency of phytoestrogens for both ER subtypes in the transactivation assay is different; that is, E2 >> zearalenone = coumestrol > genistein > daidzein > apigenin = phloretin > biochanin A = kaempferol = naringenin > formononetin = ipriflavone = quercetin = chrysin for ER alpha and E2 >> genistein = coumestrol > zearalenone > daidzein > biochanin A = apigenin = kaempferol = naringenin > phloretin = quercetin = ipriflavone = formononetin = chrysin for ER beta. Antiestrogenic activity of the phytoestrogens could not be detected, except for zearalenone which is a full agonist for ER alpha and a mixed agonist-antagonist for ER beta. In summary, while the estrogenic potency of industrial-derived estrogenic chemicals is very limited, the estrogenic potency of phytoestrogens is significant, especially for ER beta, and they may trigger many of the biological responses that are evoked by the physiological estrogens.