Mercury-Pollution Induction of Intracellular Lipid Accumulation and Lysosomal Compartment Amplification in the Benthic Foraminifer Ammonia parkinsoniana.
Heavy metals such as mercury (Hg) pose a significant health hazard through bioaccumulation and biomagnification. By penetrating cell membranes, heavy metal ions may lead to pathological conditions. Here we examined the responses of Ammonia parkinsoniana, a benthic foraminiferan, to different concentrations of Hg in the artificial sea water. Confocal images of untreated and treated specimens using fluorescent probes (Nile Red and Acridine Orange) provided an opportunity for visualizing the intracellular lipid accumulation and acidic compartment regulation. With increased Hg over time, we observed an increased number of lipid droplets, which may have acted as a detoxifying organelle where Hg is sequestered and biologically inactivated. Further, Hg seems to promote the proliferation of lysosomes both in terms of number and dimension that, at the highest level of Hg, resulted in cell death. We report, for the first time, the presence of Hg within the foraminiferal cell: at the basal part of pores, in the organic linings of the foramen/septa, and as cytoplasmic accumulations.
Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy.
Fabrizio
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0425-9306
F
Frontalini
Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy.
Davide
D
Curzi
Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy.
Erica
E
Cesarini
Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy.
Barbara
B
Canonico
Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy.
Francesco M
FM
Giordano
Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy.
Rita
R
De Matteis
Geology and Geophysics Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States of America.
Joan M
JM
Bernhard
Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy.
Nadia
N
Pieretti
Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America.
Baohua
B
Gu
Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America.
Jeremy R
JR
Eskelsen
Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America.
Aaron M
AM
Jubb
Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America.
Linduo
L
Zhao
Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America.
Eric M
EM
Pierce
Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy.
Pietro
P
Gobbi
Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy.
Stefano
S
Papa
Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy.
Rodolfo
R
Coccioni
D000165:Acridine Orange / Q000032:analysis; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D017753:Ecosystem; D056908:Foraminifera / Q000378:metabolism*; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism*; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis
D008055:Lipids; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D000165:Acridine Orange; D008628:Mercury