Arsenic induced alteration of neuroregulatory gene expression in Macrobrachium lamarrei: a neurotoxicological approach to grooming behaviour

Abstract

Arsenic is a highly active neuromodulator which can induce neurological disorders in invertebrates. The present study is a neurotoxicological approach to assess the toxicity of arsenic trioxide, where grooming behaviour is considered as a behavioural biomarker of arsenic induced stress in the prawns. Non-lethal exposure to arsenic trioxide, manipulates the expression pattern of neuroregulatory marker genes in a freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium lamarrei and induces symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in a short time.