A number of chemical released into the environment eliciting their effects by disrupting normal hormonal pathways. Endocrine disrupting compounds are present in the aquatic environment and pose potential health consequences to wildlife and humans. This review are designing for xenobiotic estrogens based on induction of the egg-yolk precursor protein vitellogenin. In fish of aquatic environment, it may result in decease fertility and egg production in females or lead to reduced gonad size or feminization of genetic male fish. It has been known that male fish exposed to estrogenic compounds show induced production of vitellogenin. Vitellogenin production is normally restricted to adult females, which have elevated estrogen levels during egg production. However, vitellogenin can be induced in males by pollution of environmental endocrine disruptors. Consequently, the presence of vitellogenin in male fish can serve as an indicator of exposure of environmental endocrine disrupting compounds. In immature fish polluted at low levels of environmental endocrine disruptor, vitellogenin can serve as a reliable biomarker for exposure to endocrine disruptor. This review demonstrates the utility of vitellogenin as a biomarker for exposure to estrogenin agents in auqatic environment.

• Ryu,Beoung Ho