The epigenetic processes of meiosis in male mice are broadly affected by the widely used herbicide atrazine [Affymetrix]

Environmental factors such as pesticides are widely used in the agriculture of many countries and their negative impact on human health and fertility are largely unknown. There is a rapidly growing body of evidence that human reproductive health is negatively affected by the various environmental factors, including life style and exposure to the chemical compounds such as certain drugs and pesticides. Sexually reproducing organisms produce haploid gametes via a process called meiosis. Meiosis is dependent on androgen action within the testis. Pesticides and herbicides interfere with natural hormones system and are considered to be endocrine disruptors. We hypothesize that atrazine (ATZ), a herbicide used globally, adversely affects meiosis. To test this idea we used the mouse as a model organism. Mice were treated three weeks with atrazine in drinking water at concentration of 100 mg/l. To assess the molecular mechanisms of effects of ATZ on spermatogenesis we performed comparative analysis of genes expression by using Affymetrix microarray by using three biological testis samples from ATZ treated and control mice. Using a fold-change cutoff value of 1.5 and p value <0.05 (statistical Limma test (linear models test for microarray data)), we identified 51 genes that were differentially expressed in ATZ treated mice.

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Gely-Pernot A, Hao C, Becker E, Stuparevic I, Kervarrec C, Chalmel F, Primig M, Jégou B, Smagulova F