Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate Induces Genome-Wide Hypomethylation within Early Zebrafish Embryos

摘要

Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyI)phosphate (TDCIPP) is a high-production volume organophosphate-based plasticizer and flame retardant widely used within the United States. Using zebrafish as a model, the objectives of this study were to determine whether (1) TDCIPP inhibits DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) within embryonic nuclear extracts; (2) uptake of TDCIPP from 0.75 h postfertilization (hpf, 2-cell) to 2 hpf (64-cell) or 6 hpf (shield stage) leads to impacts on the early embryonic DNA methyiome; and (3) TDCIPP-induced impacts on cytosine methyiation are localized to CpG islands within intergenic regions. Within this study, 5-azacytidine (5-azaC, a DNMT inhibitor) was used as a positive control. Although 5-azaC significantly inhibited zebrafish DNMT, TDCIPP did not affect DNMT activity in vitro at concentrations as high as 500 μM. However, rapid embryonic uptake of 5-azaC and TDCIPP from 0.75 to 2 hpf resulted in chemical- and chromosome-specific alterations in cytosine methyiation at 2 hpf. Moreover, TDCIPP exposure predominantly resulted in hypomethylation of positions outside of CpG islands and within intragenic (exon) regions of the zebrafish genome. Overall, these findings provide the foundation for monitoring DNA methyiation dynamics within zebrafish as well as identifying potential associations among TDCIPP exposure, adverse health outcomes, and DNA methyiation status within human populations.