In vivo formation of natural HgSe nanoparticles in the liver and brain of pilot whales

Gajdosechova, Zuzana; Lawan, Mohammed M.; Urgast, Dagmar S.; Raab, Andrea; Scheckel, Kirk G.; Lombi, Enzo; Kopittke, Peter M.; Loeschner, Katrin; Larsen, Erik H.; Woods, Glenn; Brownlow, Andrew; Read, Fiona L.; Feldmann, Jörg; Krupp, Eva M.

doi:10.1038/srep34361

In vivo formation of natural HgSe nanoparticles in the liver and brain of pilot whales

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Scientific Reports

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/srep34361· OSTI ID:1624859

Gajdosechova, Zuzana ^[1]; Lawan, Mohammed M. ^[2]; Urgast, Dagmar S. ^[2]; Raab, Andrea ^[2]; Scheckel, Kirk G. ^[3]; Lombi, Enzo ^[4]; Kopittke, Peter M. ^[5]; Loeschner, Katrin ^[6]; Larsen, Erik H. ^[6]; Woods, Glenn ^[7]; Brownlow, Andrew ^[8]; Read, Fiona L. ^[9]; Feldmann, Jörg ^[2]; Krupp, Eva M. ^[2]

University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen (United Kingdom). Department of Chemistry, Trace Element Speciation Laboratory, Meston Walk; DOE/OSTI
University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen (United Kingdom). Department of Chemistry, Trace Element Speciation Laboratory, Meston Walk
National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH (United States). United States Environmental Protection Agency
University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes (South Australia). Future Industries Institute
The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland (Australia). School Agriculture and Food Sciences
Technical University of Denmark (Denmark). National Food Institute
Agilent Technologies Ltd, 5500 Lakeside, Cheadle (United Kingdom)
SAC Wildlife Unit, Inverness (United Kingdom)
University of Aberdeen, Main Street, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire (United KIngdom). Oceanlab

To understand the biochemistry of methylmercury (MeHg) that leads to the formation of mercury-selenium (Hg-Se) clusters is a long outstanding challenge that promises to deepen our knowledge of MeHg detoxification and the role Se plays in this process. Here, we show that mercury selenide (HgSe) nanoparticles in the liver and brain of long-finned pilot whales are attached to Se-rich structures and possibly act as a nucleation point for the formation of large Se-Hg clusters, which can grow with age to over 5 μm in size. The detoxification mechanism is fully developed from the early age of the animals, with particulate Hg found already in juvenile tissues. As a consequence of MeHg detoxification, Se-methionine, the selenium pool in the system is depleted in the efforts to maintain essential levels of Se-cysteine. This study provides evidence of so far unreported depletion of the bioavailable Se pool, a plausible driving mechanism of demonstrated neurotoxic effects of MeHg in the organism affected by its high dietary intake.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357

OSTI ID:: 1624859

Journal Information:: Scientific Reports, Journal Name: Scientific Reports Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 6; ISSN 2045-2322

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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