Earthworm gene as indicator of bioefficacious cadmium.
The expression of a novel Cd-inducible gene encoding a 25 kDa non-metallothionein cysteine-rich protein (CRP) in the earthworm Enchytraeus buchholzi is investigated with respect to Cd-specificity and Cd-sensitivity. The amount of CRP-mRNA correlates with the environmental as well as with the intra-worm Cd-concentration. Even the subtoxic concentration of 100 microgram Cd/1 induces CRP-gene expression. CRP-mRNA is expressed already 2 h after the worms were exposed to Cd. Other heavy metals or stress conditions can induce only little or even no CRP-mRNA. The CRP-gene is switched on long before Cd becomes toxic to worms and can be therefore taken as a warning signal of prospective irreversible Cd-damages at an early, still reversible stage.
Willuhn
J
J
Molekulare Parasitologie und Biologisch-Medizinisches Forschungzentrum, Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf, Germany.
Otto
A
A
Schmitt-Wrede
H P
HP
Wunderlich
F
F
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D017344:Genes, Insect; D008670:Metals / Q000633:toxicity; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D015183:Restriction Mapping
C098993:CRP protein, earthworm; D008670:Metals; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002104:Cadmium