The cascade effect of PFAAs. Study of the transcriptional response of Canaries to PFAAs and the relationships with effects in successive levels of biological organization.

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are highly persistent substances that are found globally in the enviroment, wildlife and humans. Despite the ubiquity of PFAAs, their toxicological and biological effects have not yet been well characterized. We will study the transcriptional response of Canaries exposed to enviromentally realistic concentrations of PFAAs using high throughput sequencing. With this we will be able to assess the molecular key events that initiate the toxicity pathway of these compounds. In additon, we will be able to identify and characterize exposure and effect biomarkers, which are crucial to assess the risk of wild populations. Moreover, we will integrate the obtained results in the frame of a biomarker approach, which assesses multiple biomarkers across different levels of biological organization. It will further enable us to establish linkages between key events in the biological cascade that lead to effects on the survival or reproduction of the individual. The obtained knowledge will be used to complete the Adverse Outcome Pathway of PFAAs, an important framework for chemicals regulation.

Keywords:PERFLUOROALKYL ACIDS, ADVERSE OUTCOME PATHWAY, TOXICOLOGY

Disciplines:Environmental science and management not elsewhere classified