Cadmium bioaccumulation and detoxification in the gill and digestive gland of the Antarctic bivalve Laternula elliptica.
Exposure to a sublethal concentration of cadmium (Cd; 50 microg L(-1)) resulted in significantly increased Cd concentrations in the gill and digestive gland of the Antarctic bivalve Laternula elliptica. Continuous accumulation of Cd in the two organs during the 14-day exposure period was associated with sequestration of Cd to both the soluble cytosolic and insoluble particulate cell fractions. However, the contribution of each cell fraction to Cd sequestration differed between the two organs; in the gill, a larger portion of Cd was associated with the insoluble fraction, while in the digestive gland, both the soluble and insoluble fractions sequestered similar amounts of Cd. Metal-binding components in the insoluble cell fraction were not identified in this study. On the other hand, a metallothionein-like protein (MTLP) was the major Cd-detoxifying component in the soluble cell fraction of the gill and digestive gland. The amount of MTLP increased linearly with exposure time and the amount of Cd accumulated in the tissue, which suggests a potential utility of MTLP as a biomarker for exposure to Cd and possibly other metals.
Choi
Heeseon J
HJ
Korea Polar Research Institute, Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute, 1270 Sa-2-dong, Sangrokgu, Ansan 426-744, Republic of Korea.
Ji
Jungyoun
J
Chung
Kyung-Ho
KH
Ahn
In-Young
IY
D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000378:metabolism*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000633:toxicity; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000378:metabolism*; D005880:Gills / Q000378:metabolism*; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism
D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D002104:Cadmium; D008668:Metallothionein