Improving mesocosm data analysis through individual-based modelling of control population dynamics: a case study with mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki).

Experimental ecosystems such as mesocosms have been developed to improve the ecological relevance of ecotoxicity test. However, in mesocosm studies, the number of replicates is limited by practical and financial constraints. In addition, high levels of biological organization are characterized by a high variability of descriptive variables. This variability and the poor number of replicates have been recognized as a major drawback for detecting significant effects of chemicals in mesocosm studies. In this context, a tool able to predict precisely control mesocosms outputs, to which endpoints in mesocosms exposed to chemicals could be compared should constitute a substantial improvement. We evaluated here a solution which consists in stochastic modelling of the control fish populations to assess the probabilistic distributions of population endpoints. An individual-based approach was selected, because it generates realistic fish length distributions and accounts for both individual and environmental sources of variability. This strategy was applied to mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) populations monitored in lentic mesocosms. We chose the number of founders as a so-called "stressor" because subsequent consequences at the population level could be expected. Using this strategy, we were able to detect more significant and biologically relevant perturbations than using classical methods. We conclude that designing an individual-based model is very promising for improving mesocosm data analysis. This methodology is currently being applied to ecotoxicological issues.

Prochloraz-induced oocyte maturation in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a molecular and functional analysis.

In the present study, we aimed at characterizing the effect of prochloraz, an imidazole fungicide, on the oocyte meiotic maturation process in a freshwater teleost species, the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Full-grown post-vitellogenic ovarian follicles were incubated in vitro with prochloraz, Luteinizing Hormone (LH), or a combination of prochloraz and LH. The occurrence of oocyte maturation was assessed by monitoring germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) after 62-h in vitro incubation. Experiments were repeated in presence of actinomycin D, cycloheximide, or trilostane. The effect of prochloraz on the production of 17,20ß-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20ßP), the natural maturation-inducing steroid, was quantified by radioimmunoassay. In addition, the effect of prochloraz on ovarian expression of 12 genes was monitored by real-time PCR. Prochloraz (10(-5)M) administered alone was able to induce 100% GVBD in the most responsive females. The occurrence of GVBD observed after prochloraz stimulation of follicles originating from various females was similar and highly correlated with the occurrence of GVBD observed after stimulation with low LH concentration. In addition, oocyte maturation induced by LH or prochloraz was totally inhibited by actinomycin D, cycloheximide, and trilostane. Similarly to LH, prochloraz was able to trigger 17,20ßP production by the ovarian follicle. Finally, prochloraz induced the overexpression of genes participating in 17,20ßP production, intercellular communication, and paracrine control of preovulatory follicular differentiation such as igf, igf2, connexin 43, and 20ß hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (hsbd20). Together, our results demonstrate that prochloraz administered alone is able to trigger oocyte maturation through the induction of specific genes, some of them being also triggered by LH. Finally, our results clearly indicate that the effects of prochloraz and LH on oocyte maturation are synergistic.

Model-based estimation of the link between the daily survival probability and a time-varying covariate, application to mosquitofish survival data.

The survival probability in a group of individuals may evolve in time due to the influence of a time-varying covariate. In this paper we present a model-based approach allowing the estimation of the functional link between the survival probability and a time-varying covariate when data are grouped and time-period censored. The approach is based on an underlying model consisting in non-stationary Markov processes and describing the survival of individuals. The underlying model is aggregated in time and at the group level to handle the group structure of data and the censoring. The aggregation yields a generalized non-linear mixed model. Then, a Bayesian procedure allows the estimation of the model parameters and the description of the link between the survival probability and the time-varying covariate. This approach is applied in order to explore the relationship between the daily survival probability of mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) and their time-varying lengths (small mosquitofish die with a higher rate than large ones because they are more affected by predation, cannibalism and environmental stress).

Agonistic effect of imidazole and triazole fungicides on in vitro oocyte maturation in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

The purpose of the present study was to assess the in vitro effect of some imidazole (prochloraz, imazalil) and triazole (epoxiconazole) agricultural fungicides on gonadotropin-induced oocyte maturation in rainbow trout. Results show that prochloraz, epoxiconazole and imazalil strongly potentiated the induction of oocyte maturation by gonadotropin in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, 10(-5) M prochloraz and epoxiconazole alone induced oocyte maturation. The mRNA biosynthesis inhibitor, actinomycin d, completely inhibited oocyte maturation induced by fungicides, suggesting that the gonadotropin-like effect of these chemicals is at least dependent on de novo gene expression.

Residues of 14C-4n-nonylphenol in mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) oocytes and embryos during dietary exposure of mature females to this xenohormone.

In order to assess in fish the maternal transfer of alkylphenolic compounds to the progeny, the identification and quantification of the labelled compounds present in oocytes and embryos was conducted after dietary exposure of mature female mosquitofish to 14C-4n-nonylphenol during vitellogenesis and embryogenesis respectively. Radioactivity found in bile and liver extracts accounted for 0.9-0.6 and 0.2-0.1% of ingested radioactivity for females exposed during vitellogenesis and embryogenesis respectively. The amount of extractable radioactivity present in oocytes and embryos was 0.19 and 0.07% of the ingested dose respectively. The radio-HPLC profiles obtained from bile, liver, oocyte and embryo extracts were similar. They showed the presence of 4n-NP-glucuronide as the major metabolite and traces of unchanged 4n-NP. The other metabolites corresponded to 8-hydroxynonylphenol, 9-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-nonanoic acid and para-hydroxybenzoic acid which is the final product of the alkyl chain oxidation. Our results indicate that exposure of ovoviviparous female fish to 4-NP during vitellogenesis and embryogenesis leads to the contamination of the progeny by 4-NP and its metabolites.