As-resistance in laboratory-reared F1, F2 and F3 generation offspring of the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus inhabiting an As-contaminated mine soil.
Previous studies provided no unequivocal evidence demonstrating that field populations of Lumbricus rubellus Hoffmeister (1843), exhibit genetically inherited resistance to As-toxicity. In this study F1, F2 and F3 generation offspring derived from adults inhabiting As-contaminated field soil were resistant when exposed to 2000 mg kg(-1) sodium arsenate. The offspring of uncontaminated adults were not As-resistant. Cocoon viability was 80% for F1 and 82% for F2 offspring from As-contaminated adults and 59% in the F1 control population. High energy synchrotron analysis was used to determine whether ligand complexation of As differed in samples of: resistant mine-site adults, the resistant F1 and F2 offspring of the mine-site earthworms exposed to the LC(25) sodium arsenate (700 mg kg(-1)) of the F1 parental generation; and adult L. rubellus from an uncontaminated site exposed to LC(25) concentrations of sodium arsenate (50 mg kg(-1)). XANES and EXAFS indicated that As was present as a sulfur-coordinated species.
Langdon
C J
CJ
C/O The Open University in the North, Baltic Buiness Quarter, Gateshead, UK. clangdon1@btinternet.com
Morgan
A J
AJ
Charnock
J M
JM
Semple
K T
KT
Lowe
C N
CN
D000818:Animals; D001149:Arsenates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008906:Mining; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000494:pharmacology*
D001149:Arsenates; D012989:Soil Pollutants; C009277:sodium arsenate