The Potential Use of Invasive Ascidians for Biomonitoring Heavy Metal Pollution

Tzafriri-Milo, Roni; Benaltabet, Tal; Torfstein, Adi; Shenkar, Noa

doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00611

Cited by 28 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Tunicates have undergone a rapid and “liberal” pattern of evolution in comparison with the “conservative” pattern of vertebrates and cephalochordates ( Somorjai et al 2018 ; Ferrández-Roldán et al 2019 ), yielding a group of ecologically diverse filter-feeding marine animals—including planktonic and benthic specimens as well as solitary and colonial forms–, which have adapted to different conditions of metal bioavailability. In addition, the filtering lifestyle makes tunicates prone to accumulate metals from the seawater ( Papadopoulou and Kanias 1977 ; Tzafriri-Milo et al 2019 ; and references therein), and thereby, molecular mechanisms such as the MTs that regulate metal homeostasis and detoxification are physiologically relevant to them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tunicates Illuminate the Enigmatic Evolution of Chordate Metallothioneins by Gene Gains and Losses, Independent Modular Expansions, and Functional Convergences

Calatayud

Garcia-Risco

Palacios

et al. 2021

Molecular Biology and Evolution

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To investigate novel patterns and processes of protein evolution, we have focused in the metallothioneins (MTs), a singular group of metal-binding, cysteine-rich proteins that, due to their high degree of sequence diversity, still represents a black hole in Evolutionary Biology. We have identified and analyzed more than 160 new MTs in non-vertebrate chordates (especially in 37 species of ascidians, 4 thaliaceans and 3 appendicularians) showing that prototypic tunicate MTs are mono-modular proteins with a pervasive preference for cadmium ions, whereas vertebrate and cephalochordate MTs are bi-modular proteins with diverse metal preferences. These structural and functional differences imply a complex evolutionary history of chordate MTs –including de novo emergence of genes and domains, processes of convergent evolution, events of gene gains and losses, and recurrent amplifications of functional domains–, that would stand for an unprecedented case in the field of protein evolution.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tunicates Illuminate the Enigmatic Evolution of Chordate Metallothioneins by Gene Gains and Losses, Independent Modular Expansions, and Functional Convergences

Calatayud

Garcia-Risco

Palacios

et al. 2021

Molecular Biology and Evolution

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“…Heavy metal pollution is one of the major anthropogenic stressors affecting the marine environment throughout the world (Tzafriri-Milo et al 2019). After entering the coastal waters through various sources, heavy metals accumulate in marine organisms (Saez et al 2012;Lozano-Bilbao et al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of copper and cadmium on physiology and antifouling defense of the marine macroalga Ulva reticulata

Al-Khaldi

Solami

Satheesh

2021

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

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Heavy metals are major stressors for benthic macroalgal communities in marine ecosystems. In this study, the effects of copper and cadmium on some physiological parameters along with antifouling defense of the marine macroalga Ulva reticulata were assessed under laboratory conditions. Macroalgal samples were treated with three concentrations (1 mg l−1, 3 mg l−1 and 5 mg l−1) of copper and cadmium for 2 and 7 days. After treatment, algal samples were analyzed for chlorophyll-a, carotenoid, total polyphenol and total antioxidant capacity. Also, algal extracts were tested against biofilm-forming bacteria strains to understand differences in antifouling activity. The results indicated that exposure of U. reticulata to copper and cadmium, on the one hand, induced protective mechanisms such as total phenol production and antioxidant capacity against metal stress and, on the other hand, reduced photosynthesis. While the extract obtained from control algal samples showed a strong inhibitory effect on the growth of biofilm-forming bacteria, treatment with heavy metals resulted in reduced antibiofilm activity. In general, the results revealed that exposure of macroalgae to heavy metals can affect antifouling defense traits in addition to changes in photosynthetic pigment content.

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“…Phallusia was also known as an alien species that could be spread and found in Mediteranean and Florida sea, whilst it may be native to the Red Sea, tropical Indian Ocean, and western Atlantic Ocean [19]. Moreover, some species in ascidian class (Phallusia nigra and Microcosmus exasperates) were known could accumulate high levels of heavy metals, up to 2.5 x106-fold higher than the ambient seawater [20].…”

Section: Samples Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isolation and Characterization of Tunicates (Ascidian: Phallusia sp.) associative marine bacteria in agar media with Pb heavy metal addition

Ismet

Tera

Sari

et al. 2022

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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Tunicates or Ascidian (sea squirt) is a very diverse and cosmopolitan organism, also could live in contaminated environment. Tunicates could harbor various associative bacteria that could produce potential secondary metabolites and adapt to heavy metals. This research aimed to isolate and characterize associative bacteria of Phallusia sp. (Ascidian) using Sea Water Complete Agar (SWCA) media with Pb heavy metals addition. Associative bacteria were isolated from different parts of Phallusia sp. body tissue (basal, middle, and apical part), using several concentrations of Pb added to the media. Three different concentration was applied, K-as control (non-added Pb), K+ (0.008 mgL-1 Pb), and P (0.05 mgL-1 Pb). Result showed that total count of associative bacteria from different parts of body tissue was not significantly different, in neither of Pb concentrations (ANOVA, P value of 0.16). There were 24 isolates with different colonies successively found from all media. Most of the isolate’s colony has white pigmentation, dominated by Gram-negative bacteria. Motility assay showed that all bacteria isolate was motile, with 16 isolates could hydrolyse starch. Lipase activity was found in 20 isolates, and all isolates have catalase, and glucose and mannose fermentative activity. There were 21 isolates with cytochrome oxidation activity. Morphological and physiological characterization suggest that associative bacteria belonged to five groups of bacteria, including four different genera (Alteromonas, Bacillus, Deleya, and Vibrio). Kruskal-Wallis test result showed that the genus composition between each Pb concentration was insignificantly different, with a P value of 0.878.

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The Potential Use of Invasive Ascidians for Biomonitoring Heavy Metal Pollution

Cited by 28 publications

References 40 publications

Tunicates Illuminate the Enigmatic Evolution of Chordate Metallothioneins by Gene Gains and Losses, Independent Modular Expansions, and Functional Convergences

Tunicates Illuminate the Enigmatic Evolution of Chordate Metallothioneins by Gene Gains and Losses, Independent Modular Expansions, and Functional Convergences

Effects of copper and cadmium on physiology and antifouling defense of the marine macroalga Ulva reticulata

Isolation and Characterization of Tunicates (Ascidian: Phallusia sp.) associative marine bacteria in agar media with Pb heavy metal addition

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