# Presentation: 117295

## COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF VITELLOGENIN METHODS FOR FATHEAD MINNOW, MEDAKA AND ZEBRA FISH

- Photos: Biosense Laboratories

- Endocrine Disruptor Methods Validation SubcommitteeAugust 2003

- EPA Work Assignments: 2-19 and 2-26
- Presented by:
- Michael L. Blanton and Dr. Irv Schultz

## COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF VITELLOGENIN METHODS FOR FATHEAD MINNOW, MEDAKA AND ZEBRA FISH

**WORK PERFORMED BY**
- 	On behalf of the United States
- 	Environmental Protection Agency
- 	EPA CONTRACT NUMBER 68-W-01-023

## Introduction

- Purpose of study: Survey of Methods for measurement of Vitellogenin (VTG)
- to conduct a survey of existing VTG analytical methods for suitability in a routine screening program.
- Study was not intended to be a Method Validation
- the comparison was not intended to be a validation of a given method, but an evaluation across methods to ascertain the qualitative and/or quantitative comparability of the variety of methods currently available.

## VTG Background

- VTG is a phospholipoglycoprotein precursor to egg yolk protein that normally occurs in sexually active female oviparous fishes, but can be induced to occur in males in response to estrogenic substances.
- The measurement of a biochemical marker, VTG in oviparous vertebrates is generally agreed to be a good indicator for estrogenic and anti-estrogenic effects and is proposed as one of several endpoints in the fish screening assay.

## Methods for Measuring VTG induction in fishes

- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbant Assays (ELISA)
- An enzyme immunoassay utilizing an enzyme-labeled immunoreactant (antigen/antibody) and an immunosorbent (antigen/antibody bound to a solid support – i.e, a polystyrene microliter plate)

**Notes:**
An enzyme immunoassay utilizing an enzyme-labeled immunoreactant (antigen or antibody) and an immunosorbent (antigen or antibody bound to a solid support –such as bottom of a polystyrene microliter plate) 

## mRNA detection
An alternative to measuring the VTG protein is to quantify the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) for VTG that codes for the protein.  
Two preferred methods for quantifying fish VTG mRNA have emerged, 
the ribonuclease protection assay (RPA) 
the quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR)

- An alternative to measuring the VTG protein is to quantify the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) for VTG that codes for the protein.
- Two preferred methods for quantifying fish VTG mRNA have emerged,
- the ribonuclease protection assay (RPA)
- the quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR)

**Methods for Measuring VTG ****induction in fishes cont. **

**Notes:**
although other methods exist (e.g., Northern blot, slot-blot) that have drawbacks relative to sample throughput or sensitivity.  All methods can be used for absolute or relative quantification of mRNA.

## Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-MS)
In general, MS approaches to protein quantification attempt to measure the protein largely in its intact form or rely on digestion procedures (chemical or enzymatic) to reduce the size of the protein into smaller fragments.  
The MS technique allows both the direct measurement of the VTG mass and generation of peptide-fingerprinting data for further identification (Wunschel and Wahl, 2002).

- In general, MS approaches to protein quantification attempt to measure the protein largely in its intact form or rely on digestion procedures (chemical or enzymatic) to reduce the size of the protein into smaller fragments.
- The MS technique allows both the direct measurement of the VTG mass and generation of peptide-fingerprinting data for further identification (Wunschel and Wahl, 2002).

**Methods for Measuring VTG ****induction ****in fishes- Mass Spectrometry **

## Participants in the Fathead Minnow VTG Study 		

- WA 2-19 Fathead Minnow participants
- University of Florida, USA
- University of Idaho, USA
- Oregon State University, USA
- US EPA Duluth, USA
- University of Exeter, USA
- Brixham Environmental Laboratory, UK
- Battelle Richland, USA
- Battelle Sequim, USA
- Molecular Light Technology, UK
- Biosense, Norway
- INERIS, France
- Cemagref, France
- University of Windsor, Canada
- University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
- Finnish Environmental Institute, Finland

## Participants Zebrafish/Medaka VTG Study (contd)

- WA 2-26 Zebrafish/Medaka Participants
- Biosense Laboratories, Norway
- Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Pathology, Vet. Medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
- EnBioTec Laboratories, Ltd., Japan
- Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, Japan
- Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
- Los Angeles County Sanitation District, USA
- National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan
- Notox Safety & Environmental Research, the Netherlands
- Phylonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., USA
- Unité d’Evaluation des Risques Ecotoxicologiques (INERIS), France.

## Prepare standard series of plasma, liver and whole body homogenates of fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) to provide a range of VTG and mRNA concentrations produced in male and female fish (plus a positive control) for evaluation by participating laboratories
Determine the comparability of various methods for the analysis of vitellogenin in fathead minnows by means of statistical analysis of the results from eleven laboratories
The results from 8 ELISA laboratories, 3 mRNA laboratories and one Mass spectrometric (MS) method are presented

- Prepare standard series of plasma, liver and whole body homogenates of fathead minnow (*Pimephales promelas*) to provide a range of VTG and mRNA concentrations produced in male and female fish (plus a positive control) for evaluation by participating laboratories
- Determine the comparability of various methods for the analysis of vitellogenin in fathead minnows by means of statistical analysis of the results from eleven laboratories
- The results from 8 ELISA laboratories, 3 mRNA laboratories and one Mass spectrometric (MS) method are presented

**Objectives ****Fathead Minnow VTG Study**

## Objectives Zebrafish/Medaka VTG Study

- Prepare standard series of liver and whole body homogenates of medaka and zebrafish for evaluation by participating laboratories; the series represents a range of vitellogenin concentrations in male and female fish, plus a positive control
- Determine the comparability of ELISA methods for the analysis of vitellogenin of the two species by means of statistical analysis of the results from eleven laboratories

- Photo: Borg 2003

## Methods Fathead Minnow VTG Study (contd)

- Sample Preparation (Battelle)
- Obtained approximately 600 Fathead minnows
- Exposed subset of 100M and 190F to 300 ng/L 17 β estradiol in a 7-day static renewal treatment to induce vitellogenin production.  Remaining fish (210M and 190F remained unexposed).
- Day 2 of exposure fish were sacrificed and liver tissue harvested for mRNA standard series (80 EM/80 UM and 160EF/160UF)
- Prepared vitellogenin standard series from plasma collected from caudal vessels into heparinized hematocrit tubes.
- whole body of exposed and unexposed, male and female fish by grinding tissue with ice cold ELISA assay buffer (1:1 ratio, fish:buffer by wt), centrifuging, quick-freezing supernatant on liquid nitrogen
- Spiked unexposed male tissue of each species with known quantity of purified vitellogenin from corresponding species as positive control

## Methods Zebrafish/Medaka VTG Study (contd)

- Sample Preparation
- Obtained approximately 400 zebrafish and 400 medaka
- Exposed subset of each group to 300 ng/L 17 β estradiol in a 7-day static renewal treatment to induce vitellogenin production
- Prepared vitellogenin standard series from liver and whole body of exposed and unexposed, male and female fish of each species by grinding tissue with ice cold ELISA assay buffer (1:2 ratio, fish:buffer by wt), centrifuging, quick-freezing supernatant on liquid nitrogen
- Spiked unexposed male tissue of each species with known quantity of purified vitellogenin from corresponding species as positive control

- ________________________
- 1Blood plasma was also collected, but its analysis was subsequently deleted from study.

## Methods Fathead, Zebrafish/Medaka VTG Study (contd)

- Shipment to participating labs
- Subsampled 20-μL aliquots of homogenates and assembled triplicate vials of each sample type as standard series, each vial labeled with unique code for blind-analysis:
- Shipped frozen at -80°C in super-insulated packaging to participating labs on 2 June 2003 with documentation, information, and standardized chain-of-custody and data-reporting forms

- Standard Series: Whole Body, Liver (W,L)
-  uninduced male
-  uninduced female
-  induced male
-  induced female
- positive control
- Purified vitellogenin as calibration standard for the species (S)

## Methods zebrafish Medaka VTG Study (contd)

- Sample analysis (participating labs)
*zebrafish*
- Sandwich enzyme immunoassay, VTG zebrafish antibody (Biosense 2002) (6 labs)
- Sandwich ELISA, VTG zebrafish monoclonal antibody (EnBio 2002; Nishi 2002) (1 lab)
- Direct noncompetitive sandwich ELISA, anti-zebrafish lipovitellin, polyclonal antibody (Holbech et al. 2001) (1 lab)
- Modified Holbech et al. 2001 (Borg 2003, unpublished) (1 lab)
- [Competitive binding assay (Brion et al. 2002) (1 lab); data received too late for inclusion in statistical analysis; see appendix]

## Methods Zebrafish/Medaka VTG Study (contd)

- Sample analysis (participating labs)
*Medaka*
- Sandwich enzyme immunoassay, VTG medaka antibody (Biosense 2003) (5 labs)
- Sandwich ELISA, VTG medaka monoclonal antibody (EnBio 2002; Nishi 2002) (2 labs)
- Direct sandwich ELISA, VTG medaka monoclonal and biotinylated polyclonal antibodies (Transgenic 2002) (1 lab)
- [Competitive binding assay (Brion et al. 2002) (1 lab); data received too late for inclusion in statistical analysis; see appendix]

## Methods Fathead Minnow VTG Study (contd)

- Sample analysis (participating labs)
*Fathead Minnow*
- ELISA (8 methods, 11 participating labs)
- Carp based polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, sandwich ELISA (Biosense 2002) (3 labs)
- Carp based polyclonal antibodies, competitive ELISA (1 lab)
- Carp based polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, sandwich ELISA (1 lab)
- Trout based polyclonal antibodies in a competitive ELISA (2 labs)
- Fathead minnow based polyclonal antibodies, competitive, antibody-capture (1 lab)
- Fathead minnow based, monoclonal antibody, direct ELISA (1 lab)
- Zebrafish based polyclonal antibodies, competitive ELISA (1 lab)
- Zebrafish based anti-lipovitellin direct non-competitive sandwich ELISA (1 lab)
- mRNA (3 methods, 3 participating labs)
- mRNA - RT-PCR
- mRNA - qRT-PCR TaqMan
- mRNA - HPA (hybridization protection assay)
- Mass Spectrometric (1 method, 1 participating lab)
- Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) (1 lab)

## Results Zebrafish/Medaka VTG Study

** **
**	****	****C: Medaka liver****	****	****	****	****D. Medaka whole body**

**Results ****Zebrafish/Medaka VTG Study**

- Expected trend was as follows:

**1 uninduced male < 2 uninduced female < 3 induced male < 4 induced female >> 5 positive control**

**          **
**	**** ****A:  zebrafish liver****	****	****	****	****B: zebrafish whole body**

- Results showed good **relative tracking** of trend, particularly in medaka, but higher variability in absolute measured values

- Best fit: medaka liver results

- Code 0 = Blank; Code 1 = Uninduced Male;  Code 2 = Uninduced Female;
- Code 3 = Induced male; Code 4 = Induced Female;  Code 5 = Positive Control

## Results Fathead Minnow VTG Study

- Code 3 = Induced male; Code 4 = Induced Female;  Code 5 = Positive Control

**Results Fathead Minnow VTG Study**

- Expected trend was as follows:

**1 uninduced male < 2 uninduced female < 3 induced male < 4 induced female >>5 positive control**

- Results showed good **relative tracking** of trend, particularly Plasma, but higher variability in absolute measured values

## mRNA Liver Results

- All three methods distinguished between Uninduced and Induced fish

- Code 1 = Uninduced Male;  Code 2 = Uninduced Female;
- Code 3 = Induced male; Code 4 = Induced Female;

*Laboratory 1 RT-PCR *
*Laboratory 2 qRT-PCR TaqMan*
*Laboratory 15 *HPA (hybridization protection assay)

## MALDI-MS

- Directly analyze VTG from fathead minnow plasma using a combination of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.
- A membrane filtration pre-purification step was coupled to an analytical scale anion exchange separation. This approach to MALDI-MS analysis small plasma sample (< 10 l)

**MALDI-MS**

## Summary Results Zebrafish/Medaka VTG Study (contd)

**Quantification of VTG** was not absolute, but depended on method used and on the laboratory conducting the analysis (one method can yield results thousands of times higher than those of another method, but with similar relative trends)
**Within-run variability** was typically low (CVs<10% for zebrafish, <14% for medaka) in 75% of results, with some higher outliers that accounted for a broader overall range of values
**Intra-assay variability **also covered broad range over all, but 75% of results were within a fairly tight distribution (CVs<30% zebrafish, <41% medaka); objective of detection of the standard series was generally met
- Little variation in values when two **different standards** were used for calibration for medaka for all three methods; similarly low for zebrafish VTG values for two methods, but high for one method

## Summary Results Fathead Minnow (contd)

**Quantification of VTG** was not absolute, but depended on method used and on the laboratory conducting the analysis (one method can yield results thousands of times higher than those of another method, but with similar relative trends)
**Within-run variability** was relatively low for both Plasma and Homogenate CVs range 0-173% mean 32%, and  0 -173% mean 34% respectively with some higher outliers that accounted for a broader overall range of values
**Intra-assay variability **also covered broad range for both sample types 75% of the CVs were less than 51%. This high level of intra-assay variability  indicates that the methods provide a high degree of variability when replicate samples are analyzed.
**Detection of the standard series** trend was generally met for Plasma and Homogenates
**mRNA** levels were variable, with the labs reporting generally higher, similar, or lower levels in the unexposed/exposed males vs. the levels found in unexposed/exposed females.
**MALDI-MS **allowed detection of VTG confidently identifying VTG by matching experimental data with sequences in protein databases.  However, problems with sample degradation after thawing prevented quantitative estimates of VTG in plasma samples

## Results Fathead Minnow, Zebrafish/Medaka VTG Study (contd)

- Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference multiple comparison test of ranked average VTG concentrations: did neighboring means significantly differ?
- Most methods could detect difference between uninduced males and other treatments; differences were less clear cut among other groups.
- There are biological reasons as well as differences in the chemical processes of the various methods that explain the results.
- Positive controls were spiked at a specific, concentration; % recovery varied widely (orders of magnitude)
- Within-lab variability low, but among laboratories and methods moderate (medaka) to high (zebrafish) For Fathead minnow both within and among laboratories the variability was relatively high.  Results are typical of those seen in other studies (e.g., Brion et al. 2002; Holbech et al. 2001) for variability of positive control spike recovery
- Sources of variability could not be precisely defined within the confines of this study. Variability due to the following factors not considered in this statistical analysis:
- Shipping, storage, and handling of samples and other materials
- Time and resource restrictions
- Technical differences among protocols, such as method detection limits
- Biological differences among fish (e.g., reproductive status of fish during treatment)

## Discussion and Recommendations Fathead minnow, Zebrafish/Medaka VTG Study

- Various studies have demonstrated utility of VTG as biomarker indicating endocrine disruption in fish
- Based on present results, most laboratories and methods considered are capable of distinguishing changes in VTG levels in Fathead minnow, zebrafish and/or medaka
- Issues need to be resolved before VTG measurement could be used as reliable screening and testing tool
- Recommendations:
- Develop specific performance criteria for VTG analytical methods
- Use single, standardized protocol for each fish species to quantify VTG in interlaboratory validation trials