Abstract: Using zebrafish’s vitellogenin as a biomarker of estrogenic pollutants, a comparative study was carried out to determine impacts of 2,4 '-DDT, varying in concentration, on growth, development, reproduction and vitellogenin in vivo. Results show that in water containing 2 and 10 μg•L^-1 of 2,4 '-DDT, the egg yield and egg fertilization rate of fish decreased significantly, as compared with the blank group (P<0.05). In water containing 0.2, 2, 10 μg•L^-1 of 2,4 '-DDT, the fish increased significantly in its hepaticosomatic index (P<0.05); A significant increase was observed in vitellogenin level of male fish treated with 10 μg•L^-1 2,4 '-DDT (P<0.05), and of female fish treated with 0.2, 2, and 10 μg•L^-1 2,4 '-DDT (P<0.05). And the increase got more significant with the exposure increasing in concentration . SDS-PAGE and Western blotting analysis revealed that a Vtg fragment appeared in the blood of male fish, which indicates that the 2,4 '-DDT has estrogenic effects on zebrafish.

Key words: 2,4 '-DDT, zebrafish, vitellogenin, estrogenic effect