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.

Gene expressions of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A), aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and vitellogenin (Vg) by endocrine disruptors, benzo[]pyrene (B[a]P) and tributyltin (TBT) were examined in cultured eel hepatocytes which were isolated from eels treated previously with B[a]P (10 mg/kg) or estradiol- (20 mg/kg) in vivo, and the relationship between CYP1A, AhR and Vg genes were studied. When the cultured eel hepatocytes were treated with B[a]P () the gene expressions of CYP1A and AhR were enhanced in a concentration-dependent manner. However, when treated with TBT () the gene expressions of CYP1A and AhR were suppressed at high concentrations (), while having no effects at low concentrations (). Gene expression of Vg was also suppressed by TBT in a concentration-dependent manner in cultured eel hepatocytes which was previously treated in vivo with estradiol-.

Vg은 난생 척추동물의 성숙한 암컷 혈청에 존재하는 성 특이 단백질로서 에 의해 합성이 유도된다. 본 연구는 뱀장어 Vg과 ER 유전자 발현에 대한 androgen과 성장호르몬(GH)의 영향을 조사하였다. 미성숙 뱀장어()에 , 뱀장어 recombinant GH(eGH, ) 또는 methyltestosterone(MT, )를 각각 단독 또는 eGH 또는 MT와 혼합하여 주사한 후 10일 후에 샘플을 채취하였다. 간 ER과 Vg mRNA는 RT-PCR을

무척추동물에서 척추동물에 이르기까지 대부분의 난생동물들의 난황 단백질의 전구체를 vitellogenin(VTG)이라 한다. 난생 척추동물에서 VTG는 간에서 합성되어 혈액을 통해 난세포로 전이된다. 암컷 어류는 정상적인 생식주기에서 난황단백전구체 형성이 시작되면 혈중 농도는 급격히 증가하게 된다. 수컷도 VTG의 유전자를 가지고 있기 때문에 낮은 수준의 내인성 에스트로겐으로 아주 적은 양의 단백질이 있을 수 있다. 그렇지만 수컷에 외인성에스트로겐 유사물