Sex Reversal of Hanford Reach Fall Chinook Salmon

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Sex Reversal of Hanford Reach Fall Chinook Salmon
Principal Investigators

• Bill Gale, Matt Mesa, Alec Maule
• WFRC, Columbia River Research Lab
• Jim Nagler
• University of Idaho
• Rusty Rodriguez
• Western Fisheries Research Center

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Nagler et al. 2001. Environ. Health Perspect.
109 67-69.

• 1999 study of fall chinook spawning in Hanford
  Reach
• 84 of phenotypic females were
• genotypic males
• None at Priest Rapids or Dworshak hatcheries

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Male-specific genetic marker
Male Female Female
Phenotype
Nagler et al. 2001
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Possible explanations

• Contamination by sperm (unlikely)
• Chromosome translocation in wild, but not
  hatchery
• Sex-reversal
• Temperature (unlikely)
• Contaminant

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Objectives

• Determine E2-specific biomarkers physiological
  indicators of contaminants
• Determine incidence of intersexuality
• Determine phenotypic sex ratios
• Determine genotypic sex ratios

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Tasks 1a 1b 2a

• Collect 200 Hanford and 200 Lt. White Salmon NFH
  juveniles.
• a 0.05, ß 0.10
• Check for female-specific plasma proteins
• vitellogenin (Vg) zona radiata (zrp)
• Check for incidence of intersexuality
• (male female gametes in same individual)

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Vitellogenin Col. R. male sturgeon
G. Feist, C. Schreck, OSU
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Intersex gonad fathead minnow
E2-treated fathead minnow
Dr. Reynaldo Patiño, Texas Tech U.
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Intersex sturgeon Bonneville Pool2000
M. Webb, G. Feist, C Schreck. OSU
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Tasks 1c 1d (livers juveniles--Task 1a)

• Cytochrome P-450
• monooxygenase system--detoxify and eliminate
  many pollutants
• EROD
• polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
• Malondialdehyde
• byproduct of cell membrane breakdown
• PCBs, DDT, mercury, and cadmium

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Task 3a, 3b, 3c

• Collect raise 750 Hanford 750 LWS NFH
  juveniles
• Hanford lt80mm, raise to gt120mm
• 10 difference a 0.05, ß 0.10
• Determine phenotypic sex visual

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Phenotypic sex
6-month old coho - female
Dr. M. Fitzpatrick, ODEQ
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Task 4a

• Determine genotypic sex of Hanford LWS NFH
  juveniles from Task 1a
• OTY1 (Devlin et al. 1994 Nagler et al. 2001)
• GH pseudogene (Du et al. 1993)
• OT24 (Clifton Rodriquez 1997)

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Clifton Rodriquez 1997
Quantitative marker
110, 1100, 11,000 DNA dilutions
M
F
M
F
F
M
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Conclusions

• Confirm or refute Nagler et al. 2001
• If confirmed, offer possible causes
• Evidence of estrogenic compounds in Hanford
  Reach?
• Establish protocol for examining similar
  questions in the future

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CRRL - Physiological Ecology SectionAlec G.
Maule, Leader