The proteasomes of two marine decapod crustaceans, European lobster (Homarus gammarus) and Edible crab (Cancer pagurus), are differently impaired by heavy metals.
The intracellular ubiquitin-proteasome system is a key regulator of cellular processes involved in the controlled degradation of short-living or malfunctioning proteins. Certain diseases and cellular dysfunctions are known to arise from the disruption of proteasome pathways. Trace metals are recognized stressors of the proteasome system in vertebrates and plants, but their effects on the proteasome of invertebrates are not well understood. Since marine invertebrates, and particularly benthic crustaceans, can be exposed to high metal levels, we studied the effects of in vitro exposure to Hg(2+), Zn(2+), Cu(2+), and Cd(2+) on the activities of the proteasome from the claw muscles of lobsters (Homarus gammarus) and crabs (Cancer pagurus). The chymotrypsin like activity of the proteasome of these two species showed different sensitivity to metals. In lobsters the activity was significantly inhibited by all metals to a similar extent. In crabs the activities were severely suppressed only by Hg(2+) and Cu(2+) while Zn(2+) had only a moderate effect and Cd(2+) caused almost no inhibition of the crab proteasome. This indicates that the proteasomes of both species possess structural characteristics that determine different susceptibility to metals. Consequently, the proteasome-mediated protein degradation in crab C. pagurus may be less affected by metal pollution than that of the lobster H. gammarus.
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Functional Ecology, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.
Sandra
S
Götze
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Functional Ecology, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.
Aneesh
A
Bose
Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.
Inna M
IM
Sokolova
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Functional Ecology, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.
Doris
D
Abele
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Functional Ecology, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany. Electronic address: Reinhard.Saborowski@awi.de.
Reinhard
R
Saborowski
D000818:Animals; D003386:Brachyura / Q000235:genetics*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity*; D009132:Muscles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008121:Nephropidae / Q000235:genetics*; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex
Cadmium; Copper; Crab; Lobster; Mercury; Metal pollution; Proteasome; Zinc