I
am studying how a chemical called Atrazine (ATZ) affects sexual development in
Zebrafish. I originally heard about this issue online when male African Clawed
Frogs, exposed to ATZ, developed female characteristics such as the growth of
ovaries or even viability as an induced female. It is hypothesized that this
feminization is caused by exposure to ATZ when these anamniotes (fish and
amphibians) are in their embryonic stage. Therefore, I decided to test this on
Zebrafish to get a better understanding of how this chemical alters their
sexual development.
I monitor the pH, ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, and temperature
of the fish tank daily. I feed the fish twice a day and I monitor the water
levels constantly. I must ensure that the water level stays consistent and
flowing, so that none of the fish will suffer from hypoxia. I must also look
for, and remove, any deceased fish so that their decomposition does not harm
any others. I counted the number of alive males and females per treatment and
found that there was a skewed ratio in the ATZ group, with 11 females to 7
males. However, the Zebrafish still have another week or two before they will
be fully developed so this ratio will be recounted and analyzed at that time. I
set aside a batch of fish embryos in February for immunofluorescence and I am
currently in the process of detecting aromatase (indicator for estrogen)
expression. After cursory analysis, there was increased aromatase expression in
the hearts of the ATZ-treated group, but this process is still on-going. By
comparing the results from both tests, we can obtain a better understanding of
how ATZ feminizes anamniotes and to what extent.
