title: Alterations of tissue metallothionein and vitellogenin concentrations in tropical cup oysters (Saccostrea sp.) following short-term (96h) exposure to cadmium.
abstract: Metallothioneins and vitellogenins are low molecular weight proteins that have been used widely in environmental monitoring as biomarkers of exposure and damage to metals and estrogenic compounds, respectively. In the present study, the responses of metallothionein and vitellogenin tissue concentrations were measured following acute (96h) aqueous exposures to cadmium in Saccostrea sp., a tropical cup oyster native to the Western Pacific Ocean that has recently established itself in the Caribbean Sea. Adult oysters (1.5-5.0cm shell length) collected from the municipal marina of Santa Marta, Colombia (Caribbean Sea) and acclimated for 5days in the laboratory, were exposed to Cd at five concentrations (0, 1, 10, 100 and 1000μg/L) and their tissues (gills, digestive gland and adductor muscle) were analyzed in pools of 5 individuals (3 replicates per concentration). Metallothioneins in digestive glands of oysters exposed to Cd concentrations≥100μg/L showed a significant increase, from 8.0 to 14.8μg MT/mg total protein, whereas metallothionein concentrations in gills increased to lesser extent, and no differences were observed in adductor muscle. Metallothionein concentrations in digestive gland and gills correlated directly with whole soft tissue Cd concentrations (ranging from 2 to 297μg/g dw Cd). Vitellogenin in homogenates of oyster gonad tissue, after 96h of exposure to 1000μg/L Cd, were significantly lower (0.04mg P/g gonad) compared to control oysters (0.68mg P/g gonad), suggestive of an anti-estrogenic effect of Cd at high concentrations, whereas no significant changes in vitellogenin concentrations were observed at intermediate Cd exposure concentrations. This study confirms acute responses of metallothionein and vitellogenin concentrations in tissues of Saccostrea sp. exposed to high concentrations of cadmium (Cd≥100μg/L, 96h). The present results are first step towards validating the use of these two proteins as biomarkers of metal exposure in this species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Carrera 4 No. 22-61, Bogota, Colombia.
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Moncaleano-Niño
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Carrera 4 No. 22-61, Bogota, Colombia.
authors.forename: Sergio A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Barrios-Latorre
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Carrera 4 No. 22-61, Bogota, Colombia.
authors.forename: Javier F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Poloche-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs) - UMR 7266, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Bâtiment ILE 2, rue Olympe de Gouges, 17 000 La Rochelle, France.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Becquet
authors.affiliation: Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs) - UMR 7266, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Bâtiment ILE 2, rue Olympe de Gouges, 17 000 La Rochelle, France.
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Huet
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Carrera 4 No. 22-61, Bogota, Colombia.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Villamil
authors.affiliation: Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs) - UMR 7266, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Bâtiment ILE 2, rue Olympe de Gouges, 17 000 La Rochelle, France.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thomas-Guyon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Carrera 4 No. 22-61, Bogota, Colombia. Electronic address: michael.ahrens@utadeo.edu.co.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ahrens
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Carrera 4 No. 22-61, Bogota, Colombia.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luna-Acosta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005880:Gills / Q000187:drug effects; D016014:Linear Models; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism*; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014819:Vitellogenins; D002104:Cadmium; D008668:Metallothionein
keywords: Biomarkers; Cadmium; Metallothioneins; Saccostrea sp.; Sub-lethal; Vitellogenin