The pesticide dieldrin disrupts proteins related to oxidative respiration and mitochondrial stress in the central nervous system.

Quantitative proteins analysis was carried out in the hypothalamus of zebrafish following dietary exposure to the legacy pesticide dieldrin. Data were collected using iTRAQ labeling methodology and data were acquired using a hybrid quadrupole Orbitrap (Q Exactive) MS system (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bremen, Germany). There were 3941 proteins identified in the hypothalamus of zebrafish, and these proteins comprised 23 unique expression patterns for proteins based on the three doses of dieldrin. There were 226 proteins that were regulated in one or more doses of dieldrin and 3715 proteins that were not affected. Thus, 5.7% of the proteins detected responded to the treatment. Many proteins that were differentially expressed were those found in, or associated with, the mitochondria. The proteomics data described in this article is associated with a research article, “Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis implicates the immune system and mitochondria as molecular targets of dieldrin in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) central nervous system” (A.M. Cowie, K.I. Sarty, A. Mercer, J. Koh, K.A. Kidd, C.J. Martyniuk, submitted) [1], and serves as a resource for researchers working in the field of pesticide exposures and protein biomarkers.