Impacts of Bisphenol A on Locomotion Behaviors, Growth, and Reproduction in Caenorhabditis elegans

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a prevalent component in polycarbonate plastics, having a high production volume worldwide. In this study we assessed the effects of BPA on locomotion behaviors, growth, and reproduction using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Our preliminary results indicated that chronic exposure to BPA is lethal at > 10 µM dosage. For behavioral assays, worms at larvae stage 1 (L1) were exposed to 0.1 and 1 µM of BPA until adulthood, and then transferred to BPA free plates for behavior evaluations using a worm tracking system. Several behavioral parameters, including smoothed speed, omega bends, and reversals were affected following BPA exposure. For the reproduction assay, worms at larvae stage 1 (L1) were exposed to 0.1 and 1 µM of BPA until adulthood, and then transferred daily to BPA containing plates for five consecutive days and allow egg-laying. Our results showed that chronic exposure to BPA inhibits both brood size and the egg hatching success. Some tested genes involved in egg-laying and stress responses were significantly disregulated following BPA exposure.