Publication Date
Fall 2025
Degree Type
Master's Project
Degree Name
Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS)
Department
Computer Science
First Advisor
Wendy Lee
Second Advisor
Philip Heller
Third Advisor
Navrati Saxena
Keywords
Bisphenol A (BPA), Endocrine disruption, TempO-Seq, Estrogen receptor alpha (ER ), Xenoestrogens, Non-monotonic dose-response
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely used environmental chemical known to disrupt hormonal regulation. Structurally similar BPA substitutes, often assumed safer, may cause comparable endocrine disruptions. This study analyzes TempO-Seq data from MCF-7 cells exposed to BPA and 15 BPA alternatives using a Nextflow pipeline, assessing transcriptional effects on cellular and estrogen signaling pathways. Estrogenicity is further evaluated by analyzing the transcriptional responses of genes in an ER biomarker gene set. Results reveal non-monotonic, dose-dependent regulation of estrogenic and proliferative pathways, with BPA, BPAF, and BPC showing the strongest activity at 5–10 M. ER biomarker activation also occurs across multiple bisphenols, though at higher doses than required for estradiol. BPA, BPAF, and BPC consistently emerge as the most potent xenoestrogens. These findings emphasize the importance of increased regulatory scrutiny of BPA analogs and highlight the limitations of traditional high-dose models in capturing low-dose, non-monotonic endocrine effects.
Recommended Citation
Chopra, Aarohi; Lee, Wendy; Heller, Philip; and Saxena, Navrati, "Uncovering Xenoestrogenic Effects of BPA and 15 BPA Alternatives Through Transcriptomics" (2025). Master's Projects. 1577.
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_projects/1577
