Metallothioneins pattern during ontogeny of coastal dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei, from Argentina.
Metallothioneins are signals of metal exposure and widely used in biomonitoring. Franciscana dolphin is an endemic cetacean from the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, classified as Vulnerable A3d by the IUCN. Metallothionein, copper and zinc in Franciscana were assessed in two geographic groups; one inhabits La Plata River estuary, anthropogenically impacted, and the other inhabits marine coastal ecosystems, with negligible pollution. Despite the environment, hepatic and renal MT concentrations were similar, but there was a declining trend from early to later developmental stages. Metallothionein K/L, Cu and Zn levels corresponded to normal reported ranges. MT was not related with Cd. Fetal concentrations were higher than its mother. These results and the health status of dolphins are suggesting that MT correspond to physiological ranges for the species, and they are closely to homeostasis of Zn and Cu, according to its ontogenetic changes. The information constitutes the first MT information on Franciscana dolphin and can be considered as baseline for the species conservation.
Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, (CP. 7600) Mar del Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina. Electronic address: ppolizzi@mdp.edu.ar.
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Polizzi
Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, (CP. 7600) Mar del Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina. Electronic address: mabelenromero@gmail.com.
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Romero
Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, (CP. 7600) Mar del Plata, Argentina. Electronic address: leilachiodi@gmail.com.
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Chiodi Boudet
Laboratory for Oceanology - MARE Center B6c, University of Liege, Liege 4000, Belgium. Electronic address: krishna.das@ulg.ac.be.
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Das
Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, (CP. 7600) Mar del Plata, Argentina; Biología, Ecología y Conservación de Mamíferos Marinos, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, IIMyC, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Argentina, Funes 3350, CP. 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina. Electronic address: pdenunci@mdp.edu.ar.
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Denuncio
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Biología, Ecología y Conservación de Mamíferos Marinos, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, IIMyC, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Argentina, Funes 3350, CP. 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina. Electronic address: dhrodri@gmail.com.
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Rodríguez
Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, (CP. 7600) Mar del Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina. Electronic address: msgerpe@mdp.edu.ar.
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Gerpe
D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D004289:Dolphins / Q000502:physiology*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D063366:Estuaries; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney; D008099:Liver; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity
D008670:Metals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003300:Copper; D008668:Metallothionein; D015032:Zinc
Biomarker; Heavy metals; Metallothioneins; Ontogeny; Pontoporia blainvillei; Trace elements