Papers by Warren Burggren
The FASEB Journal
Low levels of exposure to crude oil and/or its derivatives are associated with numerous changes i... more Low levels of exposure to crude oil and/or its derivatives are associated with numerous changes in coping responses from molecular to organismal levels in vertebrates ranging from fishes to humans. Less understood are behavioral implications of exposure, with a handful of studies suggesting that crude oil leads to behavior that is “riskier” and more aggressive. Moreover, the mechanisms underlying such behavioral changes are largely unknown. Given that blood‐brain barrier (BBB) disruption is implicated in many behavioral abnormalities, a likely, although uninvestigated, link between crude oil and associated behavioral changes is blood‐brain barrier dysfunction. We hypothesize that alterations in the integrity of the BBB is correlated with oil‐induced behavioral changes. In this poster we describe our programmatic approach consisting of three phases to test this hypothesis. Our strategy, based on three experimental approaches, tests the effects of crude oil exposure in the form of Hig...
Frontiers in Physiology, Jun 10, 2021
The Journal of Experimental Biology, 2015
A 3D conceptual framework of 'critical windows' was used to examine whether the morphometry of Ar... more A 3D conceptual framework of 'critical windows' was used to examine whether the morphometry of Artemia franciscana is altered by salinity exposure during certain key periods of development. Artemia franciscana were hatched at 20 ppt (designated control salinity) and were then exposed to 10, 30, 40 or 50 ppt either chronically (days 1-15) or only on days 1-6, 7-9, 10-12 or 13-15. On day 15, maturity was assessed and morphometric characteristics, including mass, total body length, tail length and width, length of the third swimming appendage and eye diameter, were measured. Maturation and morphometry on day 15 were influenced by the exposure window and salinity dose. Artemia franciscana were generally larger following exposure to 10 and 40 ppt during days 1-6 and 7-9 when compared with days 10-12 and 13-15, in part due to a higher percentage of mature individuals. Exposure to different salinities on days 1-6 produced the greatest differences in morphometry, and thus this appears to be a period in development when A. franciscana is particularly sensitive to salinity. Viewing the developmental window as three-dimensional allowed more effective visualization of the complex interactions between exposure window, stressor dose and the magnitude of morphometric changes in A. franciscana.
Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, Dec 1, 1981
Carbon monoxide diffusing capacity of the lungs (DLCO) was measured in bullfrogs, Rana catesbeian... more Carbon monoxide diffusing capacity of the lungs (DLCO) was measured in bullfrogs, Rana catesbeiana (mean body weight 260 g) along with oxygen uptake, pulmonary perfusion and lung volume. The measurements were all performed by methods depending on mass‐spectrometry. Pulmonary oxygen uptake, DLCO and perfusion all increased with body temperature. At 20°C O2‐uptake was 0.49 ml STPD·kg‐1 · min‐1 at rest and DLCO was 0.022 ml STPD · kg‐1 · min‐1 · ‐Torr‐1. At 30°C the values for O2‐uptake and DLCO approximately doubled. Lung volume was large (90 ml · kg‐1) and independent of body temperature. Oxygen uptake and DLCO of the bullfrog were small compared to values for a similar‐sized mammal but the ratios of DLCO to O2‐uptake quite similar. Analysis of available data on DLCO and O2‐uptake in ectotherms also suggests a close correlation between O2‐uptake and DLCO.
Frontiers in Physiology
Variations from a relative humidity (RH) of ∼50–60% can unfavorably alter chicken embryo developm... more Variations from a relative humidity (RH) of ∼50–60% can unfavorably alter chicken embryo development, but little is known of whether the embryo can mitigate these effects through physiological regulation. We examined effects of Low RH (25–35%), and High RH (85–93%) compared to Control RH (50–60%) on hatchability, embryonic growth, hematology and blood gases and pH. Mean hatchability was not affected by RH. Yet, Low RH decreased wet body mass of advanced embryos (days 17–19; d17-19), with lowered body water content compared with embryos of Control and High RH. However, dry body mass of developing (d11-19) embryos was not different between the three RH groups. Mean blood osmolality across development was higher in Low RH embryos and lower in High RH embryos compared with Control embryos. Mean blood lactate was higher in both Low and High RH embryos compared to Control embryos. Unexpectedly, hematological respiratory variables (Hct, [RBC], MCV, [Hb]) and blood gas variables (Po2, Pco2,...
Circulation, Nov 19, 2019
Data associated with Reyna and Burggren, 2017. Altered Embryonic Development in Northern Bobwhite... more Data associated with Reyna and Burggren, 2017. Altered Embryonic Development in Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus) Induced By Pre-incubation Oscillatory Thermal Stresses Mimicking Global Warming Prediction
PLOS ONE, 2020
Background The conditions of diminished ovarian reserve and primary ovarian insufficiency, charac... more Background The conditions of diminished ovarian reserve and primary ovarian insufficiency, characterized by poor fertility outcomes, currently comprise a major challenge in reproductive medicine, particularly in vitro fertilization. Currently in the IVF industry, blastocyst developmental success rate per treatment is routinely overlooked when a live birth results from treatment. Limited data are available on this significant and actionable variable of blastocyst development optimization, which contributes to improvement of treatment success Women with elevated basal FSH concentration are reported to still achieve reasonable pregnancy rates, although only a few studies report correlations with blastocysts development. Diagnostic values of AMH/basal FSH concentrations can be useful for determining the optimal stimulation protocol as well as identification of individuals who will not benefit from IVF due to poor prognosis. The objective of this study is to identify actionable clinical and culture characteristics of IVF treatment that influence blastocyst developmental rate, with the goal of acquiring optimal success. Methods and findings A retrospective observational study was performed, based on 106 women undergoing IVF, regardless of prognosis, over a six-month period from January 1, 2015 to June 31, 2015. Rate of high-quality blastocyst production, which can be used for embryo transfer or vitrification, per normally fertilized oocyte, was evaluated. Treatment was determined successful when outcome was � 40% high-quality blastocysts. The data were initially evaluated with the Evtree algorithm, a statistical computational analysis which is inspired by natural Darwinian evolution incorporating concepts such as mutation and natural selection (see Supplementary Material). The analysis processes all variables simultaneously against the
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology, 2022
Morphological effects of crude oil exposure on early development in fishes have been well documen... more Morphological effects of crude oil exposure on early development in fishes have been well documented, but crude oil's metabolic effects and when in early development these effects might be most prominent remains unclear. We hypothesized that zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to crude oil as a high energy water accommodated fraction (HEWAF) would show increased routine oxygen consumption (ṀO2) and critical oxygen tension (PCrit) and this effect would be dependent upon day of HEWAF exposure, revealing critical windows of development for exposure effects. Zebrafish were exposed to 0%, 10%, 25%, 50% or 100% HEWAF for 24 h during one of the first six days post-fertilization (dpf). Survival rate, body mass, routine ṀO2, and PCrit were then measured at 7 dpf. Survival rate and especially body mass were both decreased based on both exposure concentration and day of crude oil exposure, with the largest decrease when HEWAF exposure occurred at 3 dpf. HEWAF effects on routine ṀO2 also differed depending upon exposure day. The largest effect occurred at 3 dpf, when ṀO2 increased significantly by ~60% from 10.1 ± 0.8 μmol O2/g/h compared to control group value of 6.3 ± 0.4 μmol O2/g/h. No significant effects of HEWAF exposure on any day were evident for PCrit (85 ± 4 mmHg in the control population). Overall, the main effects on body mass and ṀO2 measured at 7 dpf occurred when HEWAF exposures occurred at ~3 dpf. This critical window for metabolism in zebrafish larvae coincides with time of hatching, which may represent an especially vulnerable period in development.
The relationship between environment and animal development has been recognized since the time of... more The relationship between environment and animal development has been recognized since the time of Aristotle, but the urgency of creating a thorough understanding of this relationship is emerging as environments in which animals develop are changing as a result of pollution, climate change and other anthropogenic activities. This book, an overview of which is provided in this first chapter, is organized along three key themes. Each theme predominates in its own section – Part I: Plasticity in developmental and evolutionary time and space, Part II: Contemporary experimental approaches, and Part III. Environmental effects and experimental outcomes. Each of its chapters provides a comprehensive, up-to-date assessment of how development and environment are inextricably woven together, and points to future directions for research at their nexus.
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 2021
Aquatic hypoxia is both a naturally-occurring and anthropogenically-generated event. Fish species... more Aquatic hypoxia is both a naturally-occurring and anthropogenically-generated event. Fish species have evolved different adaptations to cope with hypoxic environments, including gill modifications and air breathing. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in the respiration of embryonic and larval fishes during critical windows of development. We assessed expression of the genes hif-1α, fih-1, nhe1, epo, gr and il8 using the developing tropical gar as a piscine model during three developmental periods (fertilization to hatch, 1 to 6 days post hatch (dph) and 7 to 12 dph) when exposed to normoxia (~7.43 mg/L DO), hypoxia (~2.5 mg/L DO) or hyperoxia (~9.15 mg/L DO). All genes had higher expression when fish were exposed to either hypoxia or hyperoxia during the first two developmental periods. However, fish continuously exposed to hypoxia had increased expression of the six genes by hatching and 6 dph, and by 12 dph only hif-1α still had increased expression. The middle developmental period was the most hypoxia-sensitive, coinciding with several changes in physiology and morphology. The oldest larvae were the most resilient to gene expression change, with little variation in expression of the six genes compared. This study is the first to relate the molecular response of an air-breathing fish to oxygen availability to developmental critical windows and contributes to our understanding of some molecular responses of developing fish to changes in oxygen availability.
Journal of Experimental Biology, 2020
The epigenome determines heritable patterns of gene expression in the absence of changes in DNA s... more The epigenome determines heritable patterns of gene expression in the absence of changes in DNA sequence. The result is programming of different cellular-, tissue- and organ-specific phenotypes from a single organismic genome. Epigenetic marks that comprise the epigenome (e.g. methylation) are placed upon or removed from chromatin (histones and DNA) to direct the activity of effectors that regulate gene expression and chromatin structure. Recently, the cytoskeleton has been identified as a second target for the cell's epigenetic machinery. Several epigenetic ‘readers, writers and erasers’ that remodel chromatin have been discovered to also remodel the cytoskeleton, regulating structure and function of microtubules and actin filaments. This points to an emerging paradigm for dual-function remodelers with ‘chromatocytoskeletal’ activity that can integrate cytoplasmic and nuclear functions. For example, the SET domain-containing 2 methyltransferase (SETD2) has chromatocytoskeletal ...
The chromatin modifier SETD2 was recently shown to be a dual-function methyltransferase that “wri... more The chromatin modifier SETD2 was recently shown to be a dual-function methyltransferase that “writes” methyl marks on both chromatin and the mitotic spindle, revealing α-tubulin methylation as a new posttranslational modification of microtubules. Here, we report the first cytoskeletal “reader” for this SETD2 methyl mark: the polybromo protein PBRM1. We found PBRM1 directly binds the α-Tub-K40me3 mark on tubulin, and localizes to the mitotic spindle and spindle pole during cell division. PBRM1 can assemble a PBAF complex in the absence of chromatin as revealed by mass spectrometry, and can recruit other PBAF complex components including SMARCA4 and ARID2 to α-tubulin. In addition to PBRM1, other PBAF components were also localized to the mitotic spindle and spindle pole. This PBAF localization was dependent on recruitment to microtubules by PBRM1, and loss of spindle-associated PBRM1/PBAF led to genomic instability as assessed by increased formation of micronuclei. These data reveal ...
Fertility and Sterility, 2018
RESULTS: T2 group presented a significant (p¼0.001) higher blastocyst rate (38.82%), when compare... more RESULTS: T2 group presented a significant (p¼0.001) higher blastocyst rate (38.82%), when compared to T1 group (13.33%) and C group (22.82%). Additionally, considering the TUNEL test, T2 group presented a significant (p¼0.001) higher number of total cells (130.36+38.20) when compared to T1 group (70.40+34.82) and C group (122.50+48.68). T2 group also presented a significant (p¼0.003) lower apoptotic rate (0.06+0.03) when compared to T1 group (0.15+0.09) and C group (0.09+0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary data suggested that temperature variation, in contrast to a consistent temperature, may improve blastocyst rate and embryo quality in vitro. This study may contribute to further investigations, which aim to elucidate how in vitro culture, among other ART procedures, affects embryo development. References: Not applicable. Supported by: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient ıfico e Tecnol ogico (CNPq).
Environmental Science & Technology, 2020
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in crude oil are known to impair visual developme... more Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in crude oil are known to impair visual development in fish. However, the underlying mechanism of PAH-induced toxicity to the visual system of fishes is not understood. Embryonic zebrafish (Danio rerio) at 4 hours postfertilization were exposed to weathered crude oil and assessed for visual function using an optokinetic response, with subsequent samples taken for immunohistochemistry and gene expression analysis. Cardiotoxicity was also assessed by measuring heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output, as cardiac performance has been proposed to be a contributing factor to eyeassociated malformations following oil exposure. Larvae exposed to the highest concentrations of crude oil (89.8 µg/L) exhibited an increased occurrence of bradycardia, though no changes in stroke volume or cardiac output were observed. However, genes important in eye development and phototransduction were downregulated in oil-exposed larvae, with an increased occurrence of cellular apoptosis, reduced neuronal connection, and reduced optokinetic behavioral response in zebrafish larvae.
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology, 2019
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Papers by Warren Burggren