Environment and Reproduction

The germline is the bridge between one generation and the next. As such, the survival of sexually reproducing species is dependent on several intricate cellular programs including germline stem cells homeostasis and meiotic differentiation. In the Allard laboratory, we mobilize the cytological and genetics advantages of mammalian stem cells as well as the nematode to understand the pathways that are disrupted by environmental exposures and lead to germline dysfunction. Our projects under this theme are: (a) The comparative analysis of BPA and of the BPA substitutes (found in “BPA-free” products) on reproduction. (b) The examination of the interplay between cholesterol metabolism, BPA exposure and germline function. And (c) the development and application of a high-throughput screening for the identification of reproductive toxicants. Our key publications in that area are:

Chen Y, Panter B, Hussein A, Gibbs K, Ferreira D, Allard P. BPA interferes with StAR-mediated mitochondrial cholesterol transport to induce germline dysfunctions. Reprod Toxicol. 2019 Aug 21;90:24-32. doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2019.08.001.

Yichang Chen, Le Shu, Zhiqun Qiu, Dong Yeon Lee, Sara J Settle, Shane Que Hee, Donatello Telesca, Xia Yang, Patrick Allard. Exposure to the BPA-Substitute Bisphenol S Causes Unique Alterations of Germline Function. PLOS Genetics 12 (7), e1006223. 2016.

Parodi DA, Chen Y, Sarif J, Allard P. “Reproductive toxicity and meiotic dysfunction following exposure to the pesticides Maneb, Diazinon and Fenarimol”. Toxicology Research. 4(3):645-654. * Featured in “New Talents” issue.  2015.

Parodi DA, Damoiseaux R, Allard P. “Comprehensive assessment of germline chemical toxicity using the nematode 1 Caenorhabditis elegans”. J. Vis. Exp. (96), e52445, doi:10.3791/52445. 2015.

Allard P, Kleinstreuer N, Knudsen T, Colaiacovo MP. A screening platform for the rapid assessment of chemical disruption of germline function. Environmental Health Perspectives. Jun;121(6):717-24. 2013.

Allard P, Colaiacovo MP. Bisphenol A impairs the double-strand break repair machinery in the germline and causes chromosome abnormalities. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Nov 23; 107(47): 20405-10010. *Featured in JAMA. 2011;305(1):28.