PM16 Molecular Indicators for Ecological Exposure
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Monday
(PM261) Comparison of microsatellite DNA diversity in mink from PCB-contaminated and non-contaminated sites in New York State.
Wirgin, I, Mayack, D2, Maceda, L1, 2 NYSDEC, Gloversville, NY, US1 NYU School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY, US
ABSTRACT- Because they are piscivorous, live in small reproductively isolated demes, and are highly sensitive to the reproductive and early life-stage toxic effects of PCBs, mink Mustela vison is an ideal model to evaluate the bioavailability and population level effects of these contaminants. We hypothesized that levels and patterns of genetic variation in natural populations of mink reflect their exposure histories to these contaminants and that genetic variation would be reduced in mink with the highest body burdens of PCBs. More than six hundred mink specimens were collected from sites throughout New York State and Rhode Island, including specimens highly contaminated with PCBs from the corridor immediately adjacent to the upper Hudson River PCB hotspots. Liver tissue from 142 mink (109 males, 33 females) collected from the Hudson River drainage during the 1998-99 to 2001-02 trapping seasons were analyzed for PCBs as Aroclors. Twenty-four mink exceeded the benchmark of 9 ug sum of Aroclors/g lipid; levels ranged to a maximum of 139 ug sum of Aroclors/g lipid. Of the 24 mink with elevated levels, five were females and five were of non-juvenile age (1-5 years). Congener-specific analyses for PCBs were conducted on the 24 mink with elevated levels and 23 mink with levels at or below of 9 ug sum of Aroclors/g lipid. We proceeded to quantify levels of nuclear DNA variation at 10 previously isolated microsatellite loci among these mink samples. At the first five loci characterized, allelic diversity was moderately high; 5 to 12 alleles were detected with a mean of 9 alleles/locus. Levels of allelic diversity, heterozygosity, and allelic-genotype frequencies at all 10 loci will be compared among mink from demes with varying tissue burdens of PCBs and from different ecozones within New York State.
Key words: Hudson River, PCBs, mink