Role of obesogens and metabolic disruptors in amphibian population decline – MACDONALD

Recent studies suggest that transgenerational metabolic impairments induced by endocrine disruptors (ED) exposure are key contributing factors in amphibian population decline by altering individual fitness. However, several questions remain to be explored: How do obesogenic EDs act in frogs? What are the crosstalks with other hormonal axes?) Which parent transmits the metabolic disorders to progeny? Are transgenerational metabolic disorders dependent on epigenetic modifications or linked to diminished reserve stores in eggs by females thereby affecting the progeny metabolism? To what extent may delayed life history traits changes in progeny compromise the demographic maintenance of amphibian populations. The Macdonald project will address these questions by studying the effect of a mixture of 6 obesogenic EDs at environmental concentrations over 3 generations of X. tropicalis (F0 exposed and F1/F2 unexposed). The effects of mixture will be evaluated at each generation through growth parameters, reproductive, thyroid and neurodevelopmental effects, metabolic impairments and transgenerational inheritance. Finally, stage-structured population models will be built based on the developmental and reproduction parameters recorded to assess potential demographic impacts of ED exposure.