Metallothionein as a biomarker of environmental metal exposure: Species-dependent effects

Conference · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Preprints of Papers Presented at National Meeting, Division of Water, Air and Waste Chemistry, American Chemical Society; (USA)

OSTI ID:7266186

Benson, W H; Watson, C F ^[1]; Baer, K N ^[2]

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1. Northeast Louisiana Univ., Monroe (USA)
2. Univ. of Texas Marine Institute, Port Aransas (USA)

Because of the paucity of data concerning the induction of MT following stress in teleosts, the present investigation focused on the influence of cadmium and environmental stressors (cold, hypoxia) on MT induction in bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus. Following cadmium exposure (10 ug/L, 48 hr), significant increases in the Cd content of the MT-like fraction in both teleost gill (85{plus minus} 11 nmol {times} 10{sup {minus}2}) and liver (38 {plus minus} 3 nmol {times} 10{sup {minus}2}) were observed as compared to control gill and liver. Exposure to environmental stressors, such as cold and hypoxia had profound effects on the Zn and Cu content of metal-binding proteins in the gill. Following cold and hypoxic stress, Zn content significantly decreased in all metal-binding fractions, except the LMW fraction after cold stress. Likewise, the Cu content significantly decreased in the HMW and MT-like protein fraction, but increased in the LMW fraction following treatment in cold and hypoxic stresses. In contrast, no significant alterations were observed in the hepatic MT-like protein fraction as a result of treatment with environmental stressors. These findings indicate that teleost liver MT-like protein is influenced to a greater degree by metal exposure than by environmental stressors, as compared to gill MT-like protein. Therefore, hepatic MT-like protein appears promising as a biomarker for metal exposure in teleost species.

• OSTI ID: 7266186
• Report Number(s): CONF-8909236-; CODEN: ACWCA
• Journal Information: Preprints of Papers Presented at National Meeting, Division of Water, Air and Waste Chemistry, American Chemical Society; (USA), Vol. 28:2; Conference: JAERI/EPA workshop on residual radiation and recycle criteria, St. Michaels, MD (USA), 27-28 Sep 1989; ISSN 0099-7293
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CADMIUM
TOXICITY
FISHES
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
METALLOTHIONEIN
BIOSYNTHESIS
WATER POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
ANOXIA
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
GENETIC VARIABILITY
GILLS
LIVER
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY
BODY
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
ELEMENTS
GLANDS
METALLOPROTEINS
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
POLLUTION
PROTEINS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SYNTHESIS
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
560200 - Thermal Effects
540320 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)