Tetrachlorobisphenol A mediates reproductive toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans via DNA damage-induced apoptosis

Tetrachlorobisphenol A (TCBPA), an alternative to tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), is ubiquitous in the environment and could potentially impact the reproductive system of organisms. However, the mechanisms underlying TCBPA-mediated reproductive effects remain unclear. Herein, we exposed Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans, L4 larvae) to TCBPA at environmentally relevant doses (0-100 mu g/L) for 24 h. Exposure to TCBPA at concentrations of 1-100 mu g/L impaired fertility of C. elegans, as indicated by brood size. After staining, the number of germline cells decreased in a dose-dependent manner, whereas germline cell corpses increased in exposed nematodes (10-100 mu g/L TCBPA). Moreover, the expression of genes related to the germline apoptosis pathway was regulated following exposure to 100 mu g/L TCBPA, indicating the potential role of DNA damage in TCBPA-induced apoptosis. Apoptosis was nearly abolished in ced-4 and ced-3 mutants and blocked in hus-1, egl-1, cep-1, and ced-9 mutants. Numerous foci were detected in TCBPA (100 mu g/L)-exposed hus-1::GFP strains. These results indicate that TCBPA induces hus-1-mediated DNA damage and further causes apoptosis via a cep-1dependent pathway. Our data provide evidence that TCBPA causes reproductive toxicity via DNA damageinduced apoptosis.

Automated summary

The study found that TCBPA could impact the reproductive system of C. elegans, leading to decreased fertility. Experimental results showed that TCBPA caused a reduction in germline cells and induced apoptosis, possibly through a DNA damage-inducing apoptotic pathway.