title: In situ evaluation of cadmium biomarkers in green algae.
abstract: In situ measurements provide data that are the highly representative of the natural environment. In this paper, laboratory-determined biomarkers of Cd stress that were previously identified for the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, were tested in two French rivers: a contaminated site on the Riou Mort River and an "uncontaminated" reference site on the Lot River. Transcript abundance levels were determined by real time qPCR for biomarkers thought to be Cd sensitive. Transcript levels were significantly higher (>5 fold) for organisms exposed to the contaminated site as compared to those exposed at the uncontaminated site. Biomarker mRNA levels were best correlated to free Cd (Cd(2+)) rather than intracellular Cd, suggesting that they may be useful indicators of in situ stress. The paper shows that biomarker expression levels increased with time, were sensitive to metal levels and metal speciation and were higher in the "contaminated" as opposed to the "reference" site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Montreal, PO Box 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada.
authors.forename: Dana F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Mary-Lou
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Tercier-Waeber
authors.forename: Roxane
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: England
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium