Glutathione (GSH) has been found to form a complex with both vertebrate and invertebrate copper-metallothionein (CuMT) [Freedman, Ciriolo and Peisach (1989)

The objective ofthis study was to investigate the impact oflong-term pyrene exposure on molting and reproduction in the model estuarine invertebrate, the grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugto).Grass shrimp were exosed to measured concentrations of 5.1, 15.0, and 63.4 ppb (pg/L) pyrene for 6 wedss, during which time we determined molting and survivorship. At the end of the exposure, we immediately sacrificed some of the shrimp for biomarker (CYP1A and vitellin) analyses.The remaining shrimp were used to analyze fecundity and embryp survivorship during an additional 6 weeks after termination of pyrene exposure. Male shrimp at the highest pyrene dose (63 ppb) experienced a significant delay in molting and in time until reproduction, and showed elevated ethoxycoumarin o-deethylase (ECOD) activity immediately after the 6-week exposure period. In contrast, 63 ppb pyrene did not affect these parameters in female shrimp. Females produced the same number of eggs per body weight, with high egg viability (98-100%) at all exposure levels, but with decreased survival for the offspring ofthe 63-ppb pyrene-exposed females. In addition, vitellin levels were elevated only in females at 63 ppb pyrene after the 6-week exposure. We hypothesize that the elewted vitellin binds pyrene and keeps it biologically unavailable to adult females, resulting in materal transfer ofpyrene to the embryos. This would account for the lack of effect of pyrene exposure on ECOD activity, molting, and reproduction in the adult females, and for reduced survival of their offspring.

In aquatic animals, synthesis of the metal-binding protein metallothionein (MT) can be induced through exposure to elevated levels of metals in food or water. Whether the different routes of exposure lead to expression of different metallothionein isoforms in different tissues in unknown. In this study we examined the induction of metallothionein isoforms in the hepatopancreas and gills of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus. When blue crabs are exposed to cadmium in their diet, the metal accumulates in the hepatopancreas. Size-exclusion and anion-exchange chromatography show the presence of five low-molecular-mass cadmium-binding proteins. All of the observed cadmium-binding proteins belong to the class I MT family. They are designated as MT-Ia, MT-Ib, MT-Ic, MT-IIa and MT-IIb. All purified proteins run as single peaks upon rechromatography on anion-exchange HPLC, except for MT-Ic, which segregates into two peaks corresponding to MT-Ia and MT-Ic. The amino acid sequence of MT-Ia and MT-Ic is identical. MT-Ib differs from MT-Ia and MT-Ic only in having an extra N-terminal methionine. The 18 cysteine residues in MT-Ia and MT-IIa occur in identical positions; however, of the remaining 40 amino acids, 15 are found to be different. MT-IIb is identical with MT-IIa, except for an extra methionine residue at its N-terminal position. It appears therefore that, of the five observed CdMTs, only two are the products of distinct genes. CdMT-Ia and -IIa are posttranslationally modified forms of Ib and IIb, respectively, and CdMT-Ia and -Ic appear to be conformational isomers. Cadmium-induced expression of the two genes is tissue-specific. When crabs are exposed to cadmium in water, the metal accumulates in the gills, where it is bound to MT-II. MT-I is virtually absent.

Spatial and temporal increases of hypoxia in estuaries are of major environmental concern. Since mitochondria consume most of the oxygen in the cell, we examined the potential role of mitochondrial gene and protein expression in adaptation to chronic hypoxia in the grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio. Grass shrimp were exposed to DO levels slightly above and below the critical pO(2), 1.8 mg/L, for P. pugio, and hypoxia-induced alterations in gene expression were screened using custom cDNA macroarrays. Mitochondrial gene expression was not affected by exposure to moderate hypoxia (2.5mg/L DO). However, chronic exposure to severe hypoxia (1.5mg/L DO) for 7 days resulted in an increase of transcription of genes present in the mitochondrial genome (including 16S rRNA and Ccox 1), together with up-regulation of genes involved in Fe/heme metabolism. This pattern was completely reversed by day 14, when a significant down-regulation of these genes was observed. Separating mitochondrial proteins in two dimensions by IEF and reverse phase chromatography, followed by LC/MS/MS of differentially expressed proteins, showed cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2, encoded by Ccox 2, was down-regulated after 12d exposure to severe hypoxia. It appears therefore that decreases in mitochondrial Ccox gene transcription result in decreased mitochondrial Ccox protein synthesis. These results suggest that mitochondrial genes and proteins show promise as molecular indicators of exposure to hypoxia.