Matthew D. Rand, Ph.D.

Neural developmental toxicity of methylmercury.

Dr. Rand's research focuses on the mechanisms of neural developmental toxicity of the persistent environmental toxin methylmercury (MeHg). Human exposure to MeHg through dietary intake of fish continues to be a major health concern. MeHg preferentially targets the developing nervous system leaving the fetus and young children at greatest risk from exposure. However, considerable uncertainty remains as to the risk of MeHg versus the benefit of essential nutrients in a fish diet. Further uncertainty stems from the wide range of inter-individual variability seen in neurological outcomes, both with MeHg-exposed laboratory animals and in human epidemiological studies of children in fish eating populations.

Our laboratory is engaged in several research projects elucidating molecular, cellular and genetic mechanisms of neural development responsible for variation in tolerance or susceptibility to MeHg toxicity. We are executing transcriptomic and genome wide association methods in the Drosophila model to elucidate fundamental genes that influence tolerance and susceptibility phenotypes in fruit flies developmentally exposed to MeHg. Assays are being conducted at the embryonic and larval/pupal developmental stages using functional assays that target transgenes to neural and non-neural tissues. Candidate genes from Phase I (Cytochrome p450), Phase II (Glutathione S-transferases, GCLm, GCLc) and Phase III (multidrug resistance like protein, MRP1, ABCC1) xenobiotic metabolism pathways have been identified, either through unbiased screens or prospective functional assays, as major effectors of MeHg tolerance and susceptibility. A role for these conventional metabolism genes, specifically in developing neurons, is being characterized. In addition, human homologs of these genes, carrying polymorphic variations known to associate with varied MeHg metabolism in people, are being functionally characterized in this Drosophila system. We are also investigating the role of dietary and nutritional supplements in modifying the MeHg effect in development. With this approach we have identified a protective function for caffeine, and are further investigating the potential protective mechanisms of vitamin E and selenium in MeHg toxicity.

Additional studies are exploiting a novel method developed in the lab to introduce acute doses of small molecules through the eggshell of viable Drosophila embryos. allow us to identify the most MeHg-sensitive window of neural development. These studies, together with studies investigating localization of MeHg in target organs of developing fruit fly larvae with X-Ray fluorescence imaging, are establishing the Drosophila model as a premier platform for basic research in toxicology. In addition, we are initiating studies to develop biomarkers and a protocol to determine MeHg metabolism rates in individual people. These latter studies are aimed at translating our functional studies of Phase I-III metabolism genes in MeHg toxicity to understanding the genetic basis of variation in MeHg susceptibility in populations and in individuals.