Susceptibility to genetic damage and cell types in Mediterranean mussels

Micronucleus (MN) frequency is generally accepted as a marker of chromosomal damage and has been studied in a variety of cells and species. In previous work, we detected significant dose-related MN increases in the epithelial-like gill cells and agranular haemocytes of Mytilus galloprovincialis treated with benzo[a]pyrene, a well-known mutagenic pollutant. In addition, we have studied micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities in mussels collected from the Venice lagoon (Italy). Frequency changes, possibly related to genotoxic/toxic stress, in both granular and micronucleated cells from gills and haemolymph, were detected. Environmental data suggest the effect of genotoxic pollutants and the importance of cell replication in the interpretation of micronucleus frequencies.     

近期完成的ODP航次科学目标概述

１９９４年７月～１９９６年２月，ＯＤＰ在大西洋和地中海完成了１５７～１６５航次（Ｌｅｇｓ１５７－１６５）。这些最新航次的钻探资料和科研成果出版后传到国内还需要很长一段时间。这里根据 ＯＤＰ总部提供的资料，摘要编录 ＯＤＰ最近一年半的时间内的钻探活动和科学目标，以飨读者。     

大西洋扇贝贝壳生长年轮的氧同位素研究

两只活的大洋扇贝Placopecten magellanicus分别于1983和1985年采自加拿大诺瓦·斯科舍省布朗斯浅滩,其氧同位素记录展示出一种年度性的循环,并与由环境海水的实测温度和同位素组成所预计的贝壳同位素组成十分接近。外生长线的位置与这些循环中δ~(18)O的最大值吻合,这说明外生长线于底层海水温度最低时(春季)形成。据测定的δ~(18)O的结果证明,外生长线是年度性形成的,这与生物学证据一致。     

“海洋生物技术与海水农业2000年学术年会”在青岛召开

中国海洋学会海洋生物工程专业委员会于２０００年１２月３～４日在青岛召开了“海洋生物技术与海水农业２０００年学术年会。来自海洋生物技术与海水农业两大领域的专家们以及长期与科研院校合作并在转化、吸收高新科技成果上取得重大经济效益的企业家 ,各带来了自己的最新研究成果 ,大会和书面交流论文近７０余篇。这次大会是一次海洋生物技术与海水农业两领域相互交叉、相互促进的学术研讨会。专家们的研究成果表明 ,我国在改造海滩和盐碱荒地方面 ,已从传统的方法发展到充分利用先进的生物技术培养和驯化耐海水、耐盐碱的农作物和植物上…     

Bacterial killing by Mytilus hemocyte monolayers as a model for investigating the signaling pathways involved in mussel immune defence

The signaling pathways involved in mussel immune defence were investigated utilizing a model of killing of Escherichia coli by Mytilus galloprovincialis hemocytes in a co-culture setting. In particular, the role played by different mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and by the production of eicosanoids were investigated utilising specific cell permeant, pharmacological enzyme inhibitors. Hemocyte pretreatment with the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 significantly reduced bacterial killing, whereas PD98059 (an inhibitor of ERK--extracellularly regulated kinase--MAPK activation) had no significant effect. Wortmannin also inhibited bacterial killing, indicating a crucial role for PI3-kinase activation in the immune response. Killing of E. coli was also reduced by inhibitors of both PLA2 and cyclooxygenase activities, indicating that eicosanoid production is involved in mediating the response to bacterial challenge. The results demonstrate that bacterial killing by mussel hemocytes is particularly sensitive to inhibitors of the key steps involved in the transduction of bacterial signals into the host cell. Moreover, these data indicate that the hemocyte bactericidal activity can be suitably utilized not only for identifying the signaling pathways involved in the response to bacterial infection, but also as a potential investigative-toxicology model to test drugs and contaminants for their effect on the overall mussel immune defence.     

Environmental consequence analyses of fish farm emissions related to different scales and exemplified by data from the Baltic--a review

The aim of this work is to review studies to evaluate how emissions from fish cage farms cause eutrophication effects in marine environments. The focus is on four different scales: (i) the conditions at the site of the farm, (ii) the local scale related to the coastal area where the farm is situated, (iii) the regional scale encompassing many coastal areas and (iv) the international scale including several regional coastal areas. The aim is to evaluate the role of nutrient emissions from fish farms in a general way, but all selected examples come from the Baltic Sea. An important part of this evaluation concerns the method to define the boundaries of a given coastal area. If this is done arbitrarily, one would obtain arbitrary results in the environmental consequence analysis. In this work, the boundary lines between the coast and the sea are drawn using GIS methods (geographical information systems) according to the topographical bottleneck method, which opens a way to determine many fundamental characteristics in the context of mass balance calculations. In mass balance modelling, the fluxes from the fish farm should be compared to other fluxes to, within and from coastal areas. Results collected in this study show that: (1) at the smallest scale (<1 ha), the "footprint" expressing the impact areas of fish cage farm often corresponds to the size of a "football field" (50-100 m) if the annual fish production is about 50 ton, (2) at the local scale (1 ha to 100 km2), there exists a simple load diagram (effect-load-sensitivity) to relate the environmental response and effects from a specific load from a fish cage farm. This makes it possible to obtain a first estimate of the maximum allowable fish production in a specific coastal area, (3) at the regional scale (100-10,000 km2), it is possible to create negative nutrient fluxes, i.e., use fish farming as a method to reduce the nutrient loading to the sea. The breaking point is to use more than about 1.1 g wet weight regionally caught wild fish per gram feed for the cultivated fish, and (4) at the international scale (>10,000 km2) related to the Baltic Proper, the contribution from fish farms to the overall nutrient fluxes are very small. We have also given two case-studies at the local scale where the impact of the fish farm emissions are greatest and the idea is to identify coastal areas unsuitable and suitable for fish cage farms and the reasons why. It should also be stressed that the results presented here are exemplified using emissions from fish farms, but that the underlying principles to evaluate the ecosystem effects of nutrient discharges from point source emissions are valid in a wider and more general perspective.     

中国水产学会今年将开始举办“全国生物技术在水产中研究和应用”系列研讨会

为了促进生物技术在水产业中的应用,评价生物技术在水产生产中的作用和今后的工作重点,科学地引导水产生物技术的进一步发展,促进生物技术成果尽快地转化为生产力,提出近、中期生物技术应用于水产生产的研究、开发的重点课题和目标,中国水产学会将于是年拟题系列研讨下述内容: