title: The transcriptome and proteome are altered in marine polychaetes (Annelida) exposed to elevated metal levels.
abstract: Polychaetes are often used in toxicological studies to understand mechanisms of resistance and for biomarker detection, however, we know of only a few genetic pathways involved in resistance. We found the marine polychaete Ophelina sp.1 (Opheliidae) in sediment containing high copper levels and investigated this phenomenon by measuring metal accumulation in the worms and changes in gene and protein expression. We sequenced the transcriptome of Ophelina sp.1 from both the impacted and reference sediments using 454-sequencing and analysed their proteomes using differential in gel electrophoresis (DIGE). We used the sequenced transcriptome to guide protein identification. Transcripts coding for the copper chaperone, Atox1, were up-regulated in the worms inhabiting the high copper sediment. In addition, genes coding for respiratory proteins, detoxification proteins and cytoskeletal proteins were significantly altered in metal-exposed worms; many of these changes were also detected in the proteome. This dual approach has provided a better understanding of heavy metal resistance in polychaetes and we now have a wider range of suitable indicator genes and proteins for future biomarker development.
authors.affiliation: Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia. matthew.neave@cdu.edu.au
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Neave
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Streten-Joyce
authors.forename: Amanda S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Nouwens
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Glasby
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: McGuinness
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Parry
authors.forename: Karen S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Gibb
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000845:Annelida / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020543:Proteome / Q000737:chemistry*; D059467:Transcriptome; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D020543:Proteome; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003300:Copper; D005914:Globins