Abstract
We report the development and validation of a novel in vivo biomarker test for waterborne androgens. During breeding, male sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) manufacture a glue protein, spiggin, in their kidneys that they use to build their nests. Spiggin production is under the control of androgens. Until now, however, it has only been possible to quantify its production by measurement of the height of kidney epithelial cells. In the present study, we report the development of an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for spiggin and demonstrate its application to the measurement of spiggin in the kidneys of female sticklebacks that have been exposed to androgens in water. Results from the ELISA procedure revealed a strong correlation with measurement of kidney epithelial cell height (r^2^ = 0.93). However, the ELISA was much quicker and had a considerably higher response range (100,000‐fold vs fourfold). Clear, graded responses in spiggin production were obtained by exposing intact females to increasing concentrations of 17α‐methyltestosterone and 5α‐dihydrotestosterone over three‐week test periods. The lowest effective concentrations for these two steroids were 100 ng/L and 3 μg/L, respectively. Female sticklebacks that were exposed to pulp mill effluent also produced spiggin in their kidneys. Possession of an androgen‐regulated protein by the female stickleback makes it a unique bioassay organism for detecting androgenic contamination in the aquatic environment.