title: Metallothioneins and energy budget indices in cadmium and copper exposed spiders Agelena labyrinthica in relation to their developmental stage, gender and origin.
abstract: The aim of our studies was to explain the role of metallothioneins (MTs) in the neutralization of excessive amounts of metals (essential: copper (Cu) and toxic: cadmium (Cd)) and to describe the energy status in metal-exposed spiders Agelena labyrinthica in relation to its developmental stage, gender and origin. Juvenile, female and male spiders were collected from three variously polluted habitats, transferred to the laboratory and exposed to the metals in their diet. Cu and Cd accumulation in the body and exuviae, bioaccumulation factor, percentage of metallothionein positive cells, MT concentration, percentage of cells with depolarized mitochondria, ATP concentration and ADP/ATP ratio were measured and calculated. Cu appeared to be regulated and its excess is eliminated via, among others, the molting process, while Cd was rather accumulated by the spiders. The level of MTs increased significantly mainly in females exposed to both metals, irrespectively of the pollution degree of their site of origin, indicating a defensive role of the proteins. In general, even if both the MT level and the energy status indices were positively correlated with Cd and Cu concentrations in the spider body, the energy status of A. labyrinthica did not seem disturbed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology and Ecotoxicology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, Katowice 40-007, Poland. ababczyn@us.edu.pl
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Babczyńska
authors.forename: Grażyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilczek
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wilczek
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szulińska
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Witas
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D003300:Copper / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D018978:Molting / Q000502:physiology; D013112:Spiders / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D003300:Copper; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D008668:Metallothionein