Molecular Effects of Pollution in Cetacean Samples Using the Cytochrome P450, CYP 1A1, 1A2, and 1B1 as Biomarkers

Many marine mammals harbor large fatty reserves in their body where high levels of organochlorines and other lipophilic contaminants can accumulate and can be considered environmentally relevant candidates for use as sentinel species when assessing marine pollution. This application note presents an investigation of the molecular effects of pollution in cetacean samples using the cytochrome P450 CYP 1A1, 1A2, and 1B1 as biomarkers. Methods include isolating RNA sequencing, cloning and quantifying the expression of the 3 CYP genes in sperm whale skin biopsies.