Environmental Health Perspectives 105, Supplement 1, February 1997

Genetic Susceptibility in Ecosystems: The Challenge for Ecotoxicology

Andrew J. Evenden and Michael H. Depledge

Plymouth Environmental Research Centre, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom

Abstract
Environmental management is inevitably complicated by the large variation in susceptibility to chemical toxicity exhibited by the living components of ecosystems, a significant proportion of which is determined by genetic factors. This paper examines the concept of genetic susceptibility in ecosystems and suggests the existence of two distinct forms reflecting genetic changes at the level of the individual and at the level of population and community. The influence of genetic susceptibility on exposure-response curves is discussed and the consequent accuracy of data used for toxicity test-based risk assessments examined. The paper concludes by describing a possible biomarker-based approach to future studies of susceptibility in ecosystems, suggesting the use of modern molecular genetic methods. -- Environ Health Perspect 105(Suppl 4):849-854 (1997)

Key words: genetic, susceptibility, pollution, ecosytems, ecotoxicology

This paper was prepared as background for the Workshop on Susceptibility to Environmental Hazards convened by the Scientific Group on Methodologies for the Safety Evaluation of Chemicals (SGOMSEC) held 17-22 March 1996 in Espoo, Finland. Manuscript received at EHP 5 November 1996; accepted 18 November 1996.
The authors would like to acknowledge the funding and support supplied for their research by the European Community (contract EV5V-CT94-0398) and The Wellcome Trust Initiative in Ecotoxicology.
Address correspondence to Dr. A.J. Evenden, Plymouth Environmental Research Centre, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom. Telephone: (01752) 232950. Fax: (01752) 232970. E-mail: aevenden@plymouth.ac.uk
Abbreviations used: DCA, 3,4-dichloroaniline; HSP, heat-shock protein; RAPD, randomly amplified polymorphism detection; RFLP, restriction fragment length polymorphism; SGOMSEC, Scientific Group on Methodologies for the Safety Evaluation of Chemicals.

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Last Update: June 18, 1997