PFOS caused fertility defects and disrupted spermatogenic gene networks in the male medaka with a transgenerational history of ancestral BPA exposure

RNA sequencing of the testis revealed that PFOS exposure in the BPA lineage caused a significant increase in the number of upregulated genes. In contrast, in the control lineage, it caused downregulation of genes related to cell cycle dysregulation. Differentially expressed genes in the PFOS-exposed BPA lineage fish were related to apoptosis, proteolysis, and cytoskeletal disarrangement.

The genes associated with Sertoli cell function and spermatogenesis, mainly associated with locomotion, mitotic cycle, and cell morphogenesis, were significantly dysregulated in the BPA lineage fish. Altogether, the present study found exacerbated fertility defects and significant alterations in the molecular networks associated with Sertoli cell function & spermatogenesis due to the second hit of PFOS in the fish with a history of ancestral BPA exposure, suggesting that a pre-existing history of ancestral environmental chemical exposure can be a contributing factor for adverse health outcomes in the upcoming generations upon exposure to contemporary legacy chemicals.