Transgenerational genomic instability in Fish

This chapter will review the data for somatic and germ line transgenerational effects in fish. The emphasis will be on radiation studies with reference, where appropriate, to chemical or mixed exposure studies. The terms will be defined as used in most of the literature with discussion of confusing elements. There are two main sources of data for fish transgenerational studies. These are the use of fish in the laboratory as models for human studies and the study of impacts of radiological accidents or planned exposures on fish as critical elements in the aquatic ecosystem. Both data sets will be reviewed. Comparative studies of mammalian and fish radiation responses are rare but important for both mechanistic understanding and environmental risk assessment. Common assumptions are that fish are ?radioresistent?. The basis for this will be reviewed and discussed in detail. Work from the authors' laboratory concerning bystander signaling and associated induction of genomic instability will also be reviewed. Finally, reasons for these studies will be discussed in terms of relevance for evolutionary biology and environmental protection of seeking a mechanistic understanding of vertebrate responses to low doses of environmental stressors. © 2010 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.