Biotransformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in marine polychaetes

Deposit-feeding polychaetes constitute the dominant macrofauna in marine environments that tend to be depositional centers for organic matter and contaminants. Polychaetes are known to accumulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from both particulate and dissolved phases but less is known about the mechanisms underlying elimination of accumulated PAHs. An important pathway of elimination is through biotransformation which results in increased aqueous solubility of the otherwise hydrophobic PAHs. Biotransformation in marine polychaetes proceeds in a two phased process similar to those well studied in vertebrates, phase I enzymes belonging to the Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme family, along with a few phase II enzymes have been identified in marine polychaetes. In this review we aim at highlighting advances in the mechanistic understanding of PAH biotransformation in marine polychaetes by including data obtained using analytical chemistry and molecular techniques. In marine polychaetes induction of CYP enzyme activity after exposure to PAHs and the mechanism behind this is currently not well established. Conflicting results regarding the inducibility of CYP enzymes from polychaetes have led to the suggestion that induction in polychaetes is mediated through a different mechanistic pathway, which is corroborated by the apparent lack of an AhR homologous in marine polychaetes. Also, none of the currently identified CYP genes from marine polychaetes are isoforms of those regulated by the AhR in vertebrates. Relatively few studies of phase II enzymes in marine polychaetes are currently available and most of these studies have not measured the activity of specific phase II enzymes and identified phase II metabolites but used an extraction technique only allowing determination of the overall amount of phase II metabolites. Studies in insects and various marine invertebrates suggest that in invertebrates, enzymes in the important phase II enzyme family, UDP-glucuronosyl transferases primarily use glucoside as co-substrate as opposed to the vertebrate cosubstrate glucuronic acid. Recent studies in marine polychaetes have however identified glucuronidation of PAHs indicating no mechanistic difference in co-substrate preference among UDP-glucuronosyl transferases between vertebrates and marine polychaetes but it might suggest a mechanistic difference between marine polychaetes and insects.     

Sedimentology of a wreck: the Rainbow Warrior revisited

The wreck of the Rainbow Warrior, a 40-m ship sunk on 12 December 1987 in Matauri Bay (34° 59′ S, 173° 56′ E), Cavalli Islands, northeastern New Zealand, offers an opportunity to investigate the impact of artificial substrate on temperate carbonate sedimentation. Surface sediment samples showed no significant textural or compositional difference between sediments near the wreck and those far from it. The large and diverse carbonate-producing community resident on the wreck (dominated by bryozoans, corals and sponges) has not had a measurable influence on adjacent bottom sediments (dominated by bivalves and barnacles), even after 21 years. It is likely that carbonate production on the Rainbow Warrior is insufficient to leave any sedimentary record over the potential lifetime of the wreck on the seafloor, which informs our understanding of the long-term impacts of shipwrecks (and other artificial substrata) on the local benthic environment in shallow temperate ecosystems.     

Heat shock protein expression pattern (HSP70) in the hydrothermal vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus

We previously reported evidence of increased levels of DNA damage in the hydrothermal mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus, which suggested that the species was not fully resistant to the natural toxicity of its deep-sea vent environment. In the present study, HSP70 was used as a biomarker of sub-cellular stress. Differences in HSP70 expression pattern were observed between vent sites, typified by different depths/toxicity profiles, and between different mussel tissue types. A comparison of specimens collected by remote operated vehicle (ROV) and acoustically-operated cages showed that less stress (as indicated by changes in HSP70 levels) was induced by the faster cage recovery method. Therefore alternatives to ROV collection should be considered when planning experiments involving live deep sea organisms. Significantly, a positive correlation was found between the levels of DNA strand breakage, as measured using the Comet assay, and HSP70 expression pattern; evidence was also obtained for the constitutive expression of at least one HSP isoform which was located within the cell nucleus.     

Bioconcentration and distribution of 4-tert-octylphenol residues in tissues of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Branched chain alkylphenols are weak oestrogen mimics which are present in the aquatic environment and have been implicated in the feminisation of fish. This study reports the biotransformation, bioconcentration and tissue distribution of the xenoestrogen 4-tert-octylphenol (t-OP) in juvenile rainbow trout. Fish were exposed for 10 days to a concentration of 4 micrograms/l of [14C] t-OP in a flow-through system and were sampled after 1, 4, 7 and 10 days of exposure. t-OP residues were extracted from all tissues and analysed by radio-high-performance liquid chromatography. After 1 day of exposure radioactive residues were detected in all tissues and reached steady state conditions in the whole fish after 4 days of exposure. The concentration of t-OP residues were highest in bile, followed by faeces, pyloric caeca, liver and intestine. In these tissues the majority of alkylphenol was in the form of two metabolites which were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy as the glucuronide conjugates of t-OP and t-octylcatechol. t-OP accumulated as the parent compound in fat with a bioconcentration factor (BCF) of 1190, and in brain, muscle, skin, bone, gills, and eye with BCFs of between 100 and 260. This study suggests that exposure to water-borne alkylphenols results in rapid conjugation and elimination of the chemical via the liver/bile route, but that high amounts of the parent xenoestrogen can accumulate in a variety of other fish tissues.     

大西洋表层水中的锰含量

大西洋表层水中的锰含量ＡｌａｎＭ．Ｓｈｉｌｅｒ锰是微量元素中最先获得可靠海洋数据的痕量元素之一。对锰的兴趣部分来自它的活性，其活性导致的溶解分布反映了其来源。对于表层大洋，这些来源包括风成输入、大陆径流和大陆架沉积物的还原输入（Ｂｒｕｌａｎｄ和Ｆｒａ...     

British retirees in Malta: components of the cross-national relationship

"The paper focuses on three aspects of the retirement of British citizens to Malta and Gozo: the evolution of the British settlement, four pathways to the islands, and the formation of the current demographic and household characteristics.... The immigration of British retirees to Malta has fluctuated in volume and character over the last 35 years, partly in response to changes in Maltese fiscal and residence policies, and partly reflecting the changing demand for overseas retirement settlement in the UK. The substantial contribution of intercommunal married couples to the British retired resident population and the buoyancy of both tourist visits and new arrivals suggests that its size will at least be stable or will grow slowly for many decades to come."     

北拉多加湖沿岸变质杂岩中金的地球化学

本文给出了红柱石－矽线石型变质杂岩带中金分布的新资料。北拉多加湖沿岩变质泥岩中的金含量与世界其它地区该精英夺石金的平均含量相吻合。对于等温等压线区段的岩石来说，金含量是其特征。角闪岩相高温变质区岩石的特点是金含量最低。已查明金的富集矿物和载体矿物，拽出了在进变质过程中金在主要选岩矿物中的重新分布，确定了金的富集矿物之一黑云母中金含量与化学计量间的关系。     

前寒武纪麻粒岩与活动的下地壳

地球表面前寒武纪地壳(出露的和埋藏的)总共106×10~6km~2,即大陆地壳总面积的72％。以构造年龄划分前寒武纪地壳所占比例为:太古界(+2.5Ga)=15％;早元古界(到1.8Ga)=19％;中元古界(到1.0Ga)=23％;晚元古界(到0.57Ga)=43％。如果排除了大面积平坦的和近平坦的,那些没变质到浅变质的,象刚果盆地那样的晚元古界的台地盖层,世界上前寒武纪地体包含平均13％的绿片岩或不足点,62％的角闪岩相和25％的麻粒岩相变质作用。这暗示了上覆地壳被剥蚀了12～15km,麻粒岩地质相应得剥露17～31km。虽然也清楚地反映了下地壳,然而出露的最基性的麻粒岩是否代表最下部的地壳,还是有疑问的。下地壳在整个前寒武纪时期已明显地是活动的了。