Molecular characterization of PXR and two sulfotransferases and hepatic transcripts of PXR, two sulfotransferases and CYP3A responsive to bisphenol A in rare minnow Gobiocypris rarus

Bisphenol A (BPA), a wide distributed endocrine-disrupting chemical, has attracted many attentions. To explore the effect of BPA on hepatic metabolic pathways in Gobiocypris rarus, full-length cDNAs of pregnane X receptor (PXR) and two sulfotransferases (SULT1 ST4 and SULT1 ST6) were firstly isolated and characterized. We detected tissues distribution of PXR, CYP3A, SULT1 ST4 and SULT1 ST6 in adult G. rarus. Then we investigated hepatic transcript profiles of these four genes in adult G. rarus exposed to BPA at concentrations of 5, 15, and 50 mu g/L for 14 and 35 days. It demonstrates that these four genes are all highly expressed in liver of both male and female adult G. rarus. In response to BPA, sexual dimorphism of expression patterns for PXR, CYP3A, and SULT1 ST6 shows in G. rarus, which includes increase of mRNA levels in females and decrease of mRNA levels in males in both exposure durations of 14 and 35 days. SULT1 ST6 mRNA demonstrates high responsiveness to BPA in both genders and we recommended SULT1 ST6 as a candidate biomarker for BPA exposure.