Cadmium-induced changes of gypsy moth larval mass and protease activity.
Cadmium uptake takes place mainly through food. Lymantria dispar larvae were exposed to dietary cadmium in concentrations of 10 and 30μg Cd/g dry food (NOEC, no-observed-effect and LOEC, lowest-observed-effect concentration, respectively) for acute and chronic treatment and recovery. We established that metal contamination decreased mass only during the chronic treatment at 30μg Cd/dry food with no recovery on removal of cadmium for 3days. Significant reduction of protease activity was detected at LOEC after the acute and chronic treatments. Protease showed enhanced plasticity with regard to the fitness trait (mass) during environmental stress and the higher cadmium load, when it changed. The statistically significant higher index of phenotypic plasticity for protease correlated with lower variability. Protease isoforms at the same cadmium treatments differed between genotypes, while some protease isoforms from one egg-mass differed between cadmium treatments. Owing to the low sensitivity and plasticity of mass change during exposure to cadmium, as well as its small influence, we concluded that larval mass is not a good indicator of cadmium presence in food. We suggest that proteases, with further research, might be a suitable indicator of dietary cadmium contamination, as well as nutriment utilization during heavy metal stress.
University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Despot Stefan Blvd. 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: minavl@ibiss.bg.ac.rs.
Milena
M
Vlahović
University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Despot Stefan Blvd. 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
Larisa
L
Ilijin
University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Despot Stefan Blvd. 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
Jelica
J
Lazarević
University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Despot Stefan Blvd. 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
Marija
M
Mrdaković
University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Despot Stefan Blvd. 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
Anja
A
Gavrilović
University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Despot Stefan Blvd. 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
Dragana
D
Matić
University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Despot Stefan Blvd. 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
Vesna Perić
VP
Mataruga
D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D009036:Moths; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*
D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D002104:Cadmium; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases
Acute and chronic stress; Cadmium; Enzyme isoforms; Gypsy moth; Larval mass; Protease