title: Adverse effects of methylmercury (MeHg) on life parameters, antioxidant systems, and MAPK signaling pathways in the copepod Tigriopus japonicus.
abstract: Methylmercury (MeHg) is a concerning environmental pollutant that bioaccumulates and biomagnifies in the aquatic food web. However, the effects of MeHg on marine zooplankton are poorly understood even though zooplankton are considered key mediators of the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of MeHg in high-trophic marine organisms. Here, the toxicity of MeHg in the benthic copepod Tigriopus japonicus was assessed, and its adverse effects on growth rate and reproduction were demonstrated. Antioxidant enzymatic activities were increased in the presence of MeHg, indicating that these enzymes play an important role in the defense response to MeHg, which is regulated by a complex mechanism. Subsequent activation of different patterns of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways was demonstrated, providing a mechanistic approach to understand the signaling pathways involved in the effects of MeHg. Our results provide valuable information for understanding the toxicity of MeHg and the underlying defense mechanism in response to MeHg exposure in marine zooplankton.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hye-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, South Korea.
authors.forename: Duck-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Center for Marine Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, College of the Environment & Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
authors.forename: Minghua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, South Korea; Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763, South Korea. Electronic address: cbjeong3@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Chang-Bum
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, South Korea. Electronic address: jslee2@skku.edu.
authors.forename: Jae-Seong
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D033342:Copepoda / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: Antioxidant system; Copepod; MAPK signaling pathway; MeHg; Methyl mercury; Reactive oxygen species; Tigriopus japonicus