Ontogenetic expression and 17β-estradiol regulation of immune-related genes in early life stages of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes).

Accumulating evidence suggests that environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may exert adverse effects on aquatic organisms via the modulation of immune competence in addition to the endocrine system. However, to date, most studies have been undertaken only on biochemical and histopathological endpoints, and few studies have addressed the role of immune response gene transcript abundance in response to estrogen. In the present study, the ontogenetic expression of immune-related genes, including three complement components (C3-1, C3-2 and Bf/C2), two cytokines (IL-21 and type I IFN [IFN]), lysozyme (LZM), novel immune-type receptor (NITR-18), Ikaros (IK) and ceruloplasmin (CP) were characterized during different developmental periods (from 0 to 28 d post-hatch [dph]) in Japanese medaka.