Response of antioxidant systems to copper in the gills of the clam Ruditapes decussatus

Copper (Cu) is an essential element for biological systems, however, when present in excess, is toxic. Metallothioneins can play an important role in Cu homeostasis and detoxification. Moreover, Cu can catalyse the production of toxic hydroxyl radicals that cause lipid peroxidation but defence systems in the cells can limit the oxidative damage. The present study was performed to investigate the effect of three Cu concentrations (0.5, 2.5 and 25 μg l⁻¹) on the response of antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), selenium-dependent glutathion peroxidase and total glutathion peroxidase), total proteins, metallothioneins (MT), malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in the gills of the clam, Ruditapes decussatus. The activity of antioxidant enzymes and total proteins, MT and MDA concentrations were measured in the gills of the clams after 1, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of Cu exposure. Results indicate that Cu only induces an imbalance in the oxygen metabolism during the first week of Cu exposure due to a decrease in mitochondrial SOD and CAT, selenium-dependent and total glutathion peroxidase activities. Cu also causes lipid peroxidation, measured by the MDA formation, that was Cu dependent. In the gills of clams exposed to 25 μg Cu/l, the excess of Cu triggers the induction of MT synthesis after 3 days of exposure.     

海水仔稚鱼脂类营养研究进展

近年来国外海水仔稚鱼脂类营养研究取得了重要进展。作者从海鱼鱼卵和早期仔稚鱼阶段的脂肪酸成分、海水仔稚鱼饥饿时脂肪酸的保存、海水仔稚鱼脂类的消化、吸收和运输、饲料中磷脂的作用和影响、饲料磷脂与甘油三酯的效率、饲料的必需脂肪酸、必需脂肪酸的定量需要、高度不饱和脂肪酸以及EPA和DHA比例的重要性等方面综述脂类营养对海水仔稚鱼生长的影响     

A comparative study of the hopanoid hydrocarbons in sediments of two lakes (Fuxian and Changdang) with contrasting environments

Biologically configured ββ-hopanes, geologically configured αβ-hopanes and the biogenic hopenes were determined in dated sediment cores from Lake Fuxian in SW China and Lake Changdang in Eastern China in order to investigate anthropogenic influences on the abundance, composition and provenance of hopanoid hydrocarbons in lake sediments. Based on the results, hopenes were prevalent, with maximum values reaching 148.9 μg g⁻¹ TOC in sediments of Lake Fuxian, an oligotrophic deep lake (average depth 89.6 m), where the long water column provided ample potential for the growth of hopene-producing bacteria especially the cyanobacteria. Sediment hopenes have diminished in abundance to values of 13.4–78.5 μg g⁻¹ TOC in Lake Changdang, a eutrophic shallow (average 0.8–1.2 m) body, reflecting comparatively reduced importance of nutrient level on hopene production. Historical trends in hopenes input to the sediments of each lake are strongly dependent on nutrient status. During the last few decades, human-induced eutrophication has greatly boosted bacterial production, enhancing the accumulation of hopenes in sediments. Inputs of petroleum-derived αβ-hopanes were exceptionally high (average 71.2 μg g⁻¹ TOC) in post-1968 sediments from Lake Changdang, their increase coinciding with the advent and acceleration of petroleum product use around the lake, in particular by fishing boats. Lake Fuxian on the other hand, has undergone slower economic development and the appearance of petroleum-derived αβ-hopanes in sediments was delayed to 1990 since when the average value has been 27.1 μg g⁻¹ TOC. The abundance of αβ-hopanes in Lake Changdang has created a marked decrease in the relative contribution of hopenes to total hopanoids since 1968. Conversely, the amounts of αβ-hopanes introduced to Lake Fuxian since 1990 has yet to yield a clear change in the overall proportion of hopenes, but the abundance of ββ-hopanes has declined relative to total hopanoid levels for the period.     

香鱼(Plecoglossus altivelis)排卵后卵内油球、酶活、丙二醛及受精率、孵化率的变化

以香鱼卵母细胞为研究对象,采用观察卵内油球、有关酶的活力、以及卵的受精率和孵化率等变化的方法,研究了香鱼卵母细胞长时效演化的相关机理,结果表明,随着香鱼卵在腹腔内保存时间的延长,卵内油球从0h的油球直径≤10μm,且均匀分布,逐渐融合增大,至108h增大到120μm,油球数仅有5—6个。同时,SOD、POD的活力及MDA含量均呈先升后降的变化趋势,最大峰值分别出现在60h、36h和24h。随着油球和酶活的变化,卵子质量逐渐下降,表现为受精率和孵化率的降低:排卵后24h、48h、72h、96h的受精率分别为94.37%、88.19%、50.20%、10.83%,孵化率分别为85.78%、68.14%、25.54%、0.53%。     

The ecological implications of a Yakutian mammoth's last meal

Part of a large male woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) was preserved in permafrost in northern Yakutia. It was radiocarbon dated to ca. 18,500 ¹⁴C yr BP (ca. 22,500 cal yr BP). Dung from the lower intestine was subjected to a multiproxy array of microscopic, chemical, and molecular techniques to reconstruct the diet, the season of death, and the paleoenvironment. Pollen and plant macro-remains showed that grasses and sedges were the main food, with considerable amounts of dwarf willow twigs and a variety of herbs and mosses. Analyses of 110-bp fragments of the plastid rbcL gene amplified from DNA and of organic compounds supplemented the microscopic identifications. Fruit-bodies of dung-inhabiting Ascomycete fungi which develop after at least one week of exposure to air were found inside the intestine. Therefore the mammoth had eaten dung. It was probably mammoth dung as no bile acids were detected among the fecal biomarkers analysed. The plant assemblage and the presence of the first spring vessels of terminal tree-rings of dwarf willows indicated that the animal died in early spring. The mammoth lived in extensive cold treeless grassland vegetation interspersed with wetter, more productive meadows. The study demonstrated the paleoecological potential of several biochemical analytical techniques.     

Lipid biomarkers of deep-sea hydrothermal vent polychaetes—Alvinella pompejana, A. caudata, Paralvinella grasslei and Hesiolyra bergii

The lipid composition was determined for 5 species of polychaete annelids collected by the Deep Submergence Vehicle ALVIN from high temperature chimneys at the 2500 m depth hydrothermal vent field of the East Pacific Rise. These are the first lipid biomarker analyses reported for these hydrothermal vent polychaetes. Lipid content was low in all samples (1.6–35.9 mg g^–1 wet mass) and was dominated by polar lipid (78–90% of total lipid) with 8–19% sterol (ST), and very low storage lipid (triacylglycerol and wax ester). Total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were moderately high (22–31% of total fatty acids (FA)) with extremely low or no docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6(n-3)). Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5(n-3)) levels were 5–6% in Alvinella pompejana and A. caudata and 10.3–13.7% in an errantiate polychaete (likely Hesionidae) and Hesiolyra bergii. There were greater PUFA and a greater EPA/AA (AA is arachidonic acid, 20:4(n-6)) ratio in the anterior versus the posterior half of A. pompejana, which may correlate to the strong temperature gradient reported in its tube. Total nonmethylene interrupted diunsaturated fatty acids (NMID) were 4–9% of total FA for most polychaete species and included several 20:2 and 22:2 components. The principal monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) included 18:1(n-7)c (14–19%), 16:1(n-7)c (2.6–10%) and 20:1(n-11)c (3–7% of total FA). These polychaete species may desaturate and elongate the bacterial-derived 18:1(n-7)c to obtain the essential FA EPA and AA. The major ST in the polychaetes is cholesterol (89–98% of total ST) with less cholesterol in the gut contents of A. pompejana. Other ST included 24-ethylcholesterol (1.5–5% of total ST) with lesser amounts of 24-methylenecholesterol, desmosterol, lathosterol, 24-methylcholesterol, 24-ethylcholesterol, and the stanols dehydrocholestanol and cholestanol. The high ST levels could play a role in thermal adaptation of membranes at the hydrothermal vent environment. Differences in the FA profiles separated the closely related species A. pompejana and A. caudata from Paralvinella grasslei, H. bergii, and the errantiate polychaete (likely Hesionidae).     

Integrated use of biomarkers (superoxide dismutase, catalase and lipid peroxidation) in mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis for assessing heavy metals' pollution in coastal areas from the Saronikos Gulf of Greece

Mussels are used as sentinel organisms and bioindicators to evaluate the toxic effects of chemical pollutants in marine organisms, especially heavy metals, representing an important tool for biomonitoring environmental pollution in coastal areas. Antioxidant defence enzymes play an important role in cellular antioxidant defence systems and protect from oxidative damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Indigenous mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis of the Saronikos Gulf of Greece were used for monitoring heavy metal pollution in three polluted sites in the area and in one unpolluted site. Seasonal variations of the activity of antioxidant defence enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), as well as lipid peroxidation (LP) were measured as biomarkers in a period of three years in relation to concentrations of trace metals in their gills and mantle and compared to mussels from an unpolluted sampling site. SOD activity increased at least 2 fold at the polluted sites when compared to the control site (the high activity was recorded in the spring time). CAT activity was increased 2-3 times at the polluted sites, with high activity in the winter and spring time, compared to the control site. LP concentration was twice higher at the polluted sites, following the same seasonal pattern. Trace metals contents in mussels collected at polluted sites were 3-4 fold higher compared to the control site and showed moderate variations along the months, with a winter maximum followed by a summer pre-spawning minimum matching the seasonal trends of temperature and salinity. Our results showed that metal pollution in the Elefsis Bay (the most polluted coastal area) causes relatively medium levels of oxidative stress in tissues of mussels due to cellular oxy-radical generation. This study, which is the first in the area, showed that seasonal variations of the activity of antioxidant defence enzymes and LP concentrations in mussels can be used as potential biomarkers of toxicity for long-term monitoring in marine coastal ecosystems.     

Lipid biomarkers in suspended particles from a subtropical estuary: assessment of seasonal changes in sources and transport of organic matter

Temporal and spatial variations in the composition of particulate organic matter (POM) from Florida Bay, USA were examined. The predominance of short-chain homologues for n-alkanes, n-alcohols and n-fatty acids as well as relatively high abundance of C(27) and C(28) sterols suggested that an autochthonous/marine source of OM was dominant bay-wide. Several biomarker proxies such as P(aq) [(C(23)+C(25))/(C(23)+C(25)+C(29)+C(31)) n-alkanes], short/long chain n-alkanes, (C(29)+C(31)) n-alkanes and taraxerol indicated a spatial shift in OM sources, where terrestrial OM rapidly decreased while seagrass and microbial OM markedly increased along a northeastern to southwestern transect. Regarding seasonal variations, POM collected during the dry season was enriched in terrestrial constituents relative to the wet season, likely as a result of reduced primary productivity of planktonic species and seagrasses during the dry season. Principal component analysis (PCA) classified the sample set into sub-groups based on PC1 which seemed to be spatially controlled by OM origin (terrestrial-mangrove vs. marine-planktonic/seagrass). The PC2 seemed to be more seasonally controlled suggesting that hydrological fluctuations and seasonal primary productivity are the drivers controlling the POM composition in Florida Bay.     

Esterase activities and lipid peroxidation levels in offshore commercial species of the NW Mediterranean Sea

There is a lack of information on monitoring neurotoxicity in offshore commercial species. To help fill this gap, we sampled hake (Merluccius merluccius) and Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) in fishing grounds off the coast of l’Ametlla de Mar (NW Mediterranean) in June 2005 at a depth of 100 m and 400 m. Additionally, at 400 m depth, two other fish species, Micromesistius poutassou and Phycis blennoides were included. Neurotoxicity markers such as Colinesterases (ChEs), namely acethyl- (AChE), butyryl- (BChE), propionyl- (PrChE) and carboxilesterase (CbE) were measured in muscle. Lipid peroxidation (LP), a marker of oxidative damage, was also included. The results are discussed in relation to the animal’s sex, size and fishing depth. A comparison of esterases and LP levels between muscle and liver of hake and between muscle and hepatopancreas of Norway Lobster was made.

AChE was dominant in muscle and CbE in hepatopancreas. No differences between fish species were seen for AChE. However, N. norvegicus, presented lower levels of ChEs and LP. A size-dependence in ChEs was seen for M. merluccius, with larger animals showing significantly lower activities (p < 0.05). Sex-dependence was seen in N. norvegicus for most esterases, except AChE, with males displaying higher activities (p < 0.05). A sampling-depth effect was also seen in the crustacea, with animals from 100 m generally presenting lower esterase activities and higher LP levels.     

越冬前后海马齿脂肪酸和挥发性有机物组成和变化特征

海马齿是一种热带和亚热带盐生植物, 既是传统野生菜蔬, 也在海岸带生态修复中发挥重要作用。北移种植海马齿进行生态修复时, 越冬低温的影响是成功与否的首要关注问题, 其机制尚待解明。脂肪酸在生物耐受低温中发挥作用, 挥发性有机物与脂肪酸代谢关系密切。本研究利用海湾环境中生态修复浮床上的海马齿样品, 重点解析北移种植环境下, 海马齿植株不同部位受越冬影响前后的脂肪酸和挥发性有机物的组成、差异及变化特征。结果显示, 海马齿的花、叶、茎和根样本中, 共检出14种脂肪酸, 根中的脂肪酸种类数相对最多; 多不饱和脂肪酸在花和叶中的含量(平均分别为56.46%和60.23%)总体大于茎和根(平均分别为41.56%和44.45%)。茎、叶中共检出86种挥发性有机物, 蘑菇醇为优势种类。越冬后脂肪酸和挥发性有机物种类数量显著降低, 多不饱和脂肪酸比例在冻伤植株中显著升高; 就植株脂质营养指数而言, 耐受越冬低温的植株其脂质营养品质提高。越冬造成海马齿两类化合物发生显著变化, 其中C18脂肪酸代谢响应有重要贡献, C18: 3(n-3)和蘑菇醇分别是脂肪酸与挥发性物质中最为重要的两个代谢产物, 可能与抗冻应激有密切关系。本研究为推广海马齿种植以构建可持续近海生态修复体系提供了参考。