title: Toxicity assessment of peptaibols and contaminated sediments on Crassostrea gigas embryos.
abstract: Peptaibols are known membrane-modifying peptides that were recently detected in marine sediments and mussels collected from a shellfish farming area (Fier d'Ars, Atlantic coast, France). In this investigation, embryotoxicity bioassays with oysters (Crassostrea gigas) were performed to assess acute toxicity of alamethicin and different groups of peptaibols produced by a Trichoderma longibrachiatum strain isolated from marine environment. C. gigas embryos appeared very sensitive to all the metabolites examined with higher toxic effects for long-sequence peptides (EC50 ranging from 10 to 64 nM). D-shaped larvae with mantle abnormality were particularly noticed when peptaibol concentrations increased. Disturbances of embryogenesis were also observed following exposure to organic and aqueous extract of sediments from Fier d'Ars (EC50=42.4 and 6.6 g L(-1) dry weight, respectively). Although peptaibol concentrations measured in these sediments could explain only a part of the toxic effects observed, this study suggests that these mycotoxins can induce larval abnormalities in a population of exposed animals at environmentally realistic concentrations. Their detection in coastal areas devoted to bivalve culture should be taken into account.
authors.affiliation: Université de Nantes, Nantes Atlantique Universités, SMAB EA2160, Faculté de pharmacie, 1 rue Gaston Veil-BP 53508, Nantes F-44000, France. laurence.poirier@univ-nantes.fr
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poirier
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quiniou
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montagu
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Amiard
authors.forename: Yves François
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Pouchus
mesh_terms: D000408:Alamethicin / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods; D049896:Crassostrea / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D010455:Peptides / Q000633:toxicity*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014242:Trichoderma / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010455:Peptides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D000408:Alamethicin