RNA sequencing and proteomic profiling reveal different alterations by dietary methylmercury in the hippocampal transcriptome and proteome in BALB/c mice

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Ragnhild Marie Mellingen
  • Lene Secher Myrmel
  • Kai Kristoffer Lie
  • Josef Daniel Rasinger
  • Lise Madsen
  • Ole Jakob Nøstbakken

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a highly neurotoxic form of mercury (Hg) present in seafood. Here, we recorded and compared proteomic and transcriptomic changes in hippocampus of male BALB/c mice exposed to two doses of MeHg. Mice were fed diets spiked with 0.28 mg MeHg kg-1, 5 mg MeHg kg-1, or an unspiked control diet for 77 days. Total mercury content was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in brain tissue of both MeHg-exposed groups (18 ± 2 mg Hg kg-1 and 0.56 ± 0.06 mg Hg kg-1). Hippocampal protein and ribonucleic acid (RNA) expression levels were significantly altered both in tissues from mice receiving a low dose MeHg (20 proteins/294 RNA transcripts) and a high dose MeHg (61 proteins/876 RNA transcripts). The majority but not all the differentially expressed features in hippocampus were dose dependent. The combined use of transcriptomic and proteomic profiling data provided insight on the influence of MeHg on neurotoxicity, energy metabolism, and oxidative stress through several regulated features and pathways, including RXR function and superoxide radical degradation.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbermfab022
JournalMetallomics : integrated biometal science
Volume13
Issue number5
Number of pages12
ISSN1756-5901
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

    Research areas

  • hippocampus, methylmercury, mice, proteomic, RNA sequencing

ID: 274070049