Evaluation of biomarkers in oyster larvae in natural and polluted conditions

Abstract

Crassostrea gigas D-shaped larvae were subjected to different conditions of temperature and salinity for 24 h and four biomarkers (acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) activities) were measured. AChE activity decreased when salinity increased from 25 to 30 and 35 psu at 20 and 25 degrees C. Temperature did not seem to have an influence on AChE activity. TBARS levels increased as a function of salinity when the temperature was maintained at 20 degrees C, whereas at 25 degrees C no effect of salinity could be observed. Variations in GST and CAT activities were not significant with salinity and temperature except that catalase activity was higher at 25 degrees C than at 20 degrees C. Exposure experiments were conducted at 23 degrees C and 30 psu with carbofuran (100 and 1000 microg/l) and malathion (100 and 300 microg/l). There was an inhibition of AChE activity with carbofuran, and a toxic effect shown by an increase in TBARS levels counteracted by increases in GST and CAT activities which protected the larvae. When two pairs of adults producing larvae were taken into consideration, significant differences in biomarker levels were noted between the larval offspring of each pair. Malathion induced a decrease in AChE activity and an increase in CAT activity.

Acetylcholinesterase and metallothionein in oysters (Crassostrea corteziensis) from a subtropical Mexican Pacific estuary

“…Previous studies suggest that AChE activity is found in the gills, mantle, and adductor muscles of bivalves (Bocquene et al 1997;Escartín and Porte 1997;Radenac et al 1998;Mora et al 1999;Monserrat et al 2002;Damiens et al 2004). In this study we used gills to determine AChE activity because gills have the highest AChE activity and seem to be the most susceptible organ (Baudrimont et al 1997(Baudrimont et al , 1997Mora et al 1999).…”

Greening of the coasts: a review of the Perna viridis success story

“…They provide meaningful information on the potential impact of a variety of pollutants on the health of mussels, before the effects are manifested externally. Depending on the effect of different kinds of contaminants, different categories of biomarkers have been identified (Narbonne et al 1999;Lau and Wong 2003;Damiens et al 2004). Biomarkers generally have higher sensitivity and specificity at molecular levels.…”

Monitoring pollution in Tunisian coasts using a scale of classification based on biochemical markers in worms Nereis (Hediste) diversicolor

“…Thus, there is a need to develop strategies allowing assessment of whether a given environment is under stress or not. The multi-biomarker approach appears to be effective in estimating the toxicity of complex mixtures (Lagadic et al 1997;De Lafontaine et al 2000;Vidal et al 2002;Damiens et al 2004;Leiniö and Lehtonen 2005;Ait Alla et al 2006). The quality of the marine environment can be assessed by means of several methods.…”