Genetic ecotoxicology of asbestos pollution in the house mouse Mus musculus domesticus

Rachel Ben-Shlomo, Uri Shanas

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Purpose: We tested the genetic diversity in wild mice (Mus musculus domesticus) inhabiting the asbestos-polluted area as a model for the long-term mutagenic effect of asbestos. Hazardous effects of deposited asbestos persist in the environment because of low rate of fiber disintegration. The upper layers of the soil in the vicinity of a former asbestos factory are nearly "saturated" with asbestos fibers and dust. Natural populations of mice dwell in this area and are constantly exposed to asbestos fibers. Methods: We measured the microsatellites genetic diversity of wild mice (Mus musculus domesticus) inhabiting the asbestos-polluted area as a model for the long-term mutagenic effect of this environmental toxin. Results: The six tested microsatellites were highly polymorphic, revealing 111 different alleles for the two sampled populations. Effective number of alleles was slightly higher in the polluted population relative to the control population, while observed heterozygosity was lower. The chromatographic profile of the polluted population exhibited a significantly higher number of bands, probably resulting from somatic mutations, in addition to the ordinary microsatellite band profiles. Conclusions: Long-term exposure to asbestos fibers significantly elevates the level of somatic mutations. It also leads to a relatively high level of observed homozygosity, a phenomenon that may be associated with loss of heterozygosity. Based on the mice population, our data suggest elevated health risks for humans living in an asbestos-polluted area.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1264-1269
    Number of pages6
    JournalEnvironmental Science and Pollution Research
    Volume18
    Issue number8
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Sep 2011

    Keywords

    • Asbestos
    • Gene diversity
    • Genotoxin
    • Loss of heterozygosity
    • Somatic mutations

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Environmental Chemistry
    • Pollution
    • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Genetic ecotoxicology of asbestos pollution in the house mouse Mus musculus domesticus'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this