title: Gold nanoparticles and oxidative stress in the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis.
abstract: Relatively little is known about how gold nanoparticles (GNP) might interact in vivo with aquatic organisms. Gold nanoparticles (GNP) of defined average diameter may be synthesized and used to challenge test organisms held in aquaria. The blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, is a popular sentinel species in environmental toxicology. This chapter describes how mussels exposed to GNP (average diameter ~5 nm) may be dissected and extracts of digestive gland can be analyzed for oxidative stress. Protein thiols are labeled with 5'-iodoacetamide-fluorescein (IAF), and proteins are separated in one-dimensional electrophoresis. After scanning for IAF-associated fluorescence, gels are stained with colloidal coomassie. A ratio of fluorescence to protein stain is calculated revealing that thiol oxidation increases with GNP treatment.
authors.affiliation: Proteomics Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tedesco
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Iacopino
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: O'Donovan
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keane
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sheehan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D006046:Gold; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D049880:Mytilus edulis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010316:Particle Size; D050050:Protein Carbonylation; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011506:Proteins; D006046:Gold