Metallothioneins and heat shock proteins 70 in Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda, Oniscidea) exposed to cadmium and lead

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety Vol. 116; pp. 99 - 106
• Main Authors: Mazzei, V., Giannetto, A., Brundo, M.V., Maisano, M., Ferrante, M., Copat, C., Mauceri, A., Longo, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.06.2015
• Subjects: Animals; Armadillidium vulgare; Blotting, Western; Cadmium - metabolism; Environmental Pollutants - metabolism; Female; Heavy metals; Hepatopancreas; Hepatopancreas - metabolism; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; ICP-MS; Immunohistochemistry; Isopoda; Isopoda - metabolism; Lead - metabolism; Male; Metallothionein - metabolism; Oniscidea; Terrestrial isopods; Western blotting; Immunohistochemistry; ICP-MS; Terrestrial isopods; Heavy metals; Western blotting; Hepatopancreas
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2015.03.007

The heavy metals bioaccumulation capability in Armadillidium vulgare feeded with chestnut leaves contaminated with various sublethal concentrations of Cd and Pb, was evaluated under laboratory conditions. The metal concentration found in the hepatopancreas of treated animals, as measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), affected the expression and localization of MT and HSP70 as shown by immunohistochemical and western blotting analysis. The Cd content of the animals treated with the various concentrations of the metal has been always higher than that of chestnut leaves contaminated. The accumulation of Pb was, instead, always modest compared to the content of the chestnut leaves. The immunohistochemical investigation in hepatopancreas tissue of animals treated with increasing concentrations of Cd and Pb, by using the anti-MT and anti-HSP70 antibodies, has provided a response clearly positive even if differentiated in relation to the metal and concentration tested. In particular, a positive response to anti-MT antibody was detected in B and S cells nuclei and S cells cytoplasm; the localization of HSP70 was particularly intense at the cell surface. Western blotting analysis showed significant up-regulation of the expression (about 2.6 fold) of HSP70 proteins in the hepatopancreas of animals exposed to highest Pb concentrations respect to control. Moreover, samples exposed to higher Cd and Pb concentrations showed a higher expression of MT (3.2 fold and 4 fold respectively) compared to control. In summary, our data beyond to clearly demonstrate for the first time the expression of MT in terrestrial isopods, suggest that A. vulgare would be a suitable organism for assessing Cd and Pb exposure in environments threatened by metal pollution as suggested by the modulation of the biomarkers MT and HSP70. •Armadillidium vulgare is able to accumulate Cd more efficiently than Pb.•This is the first study regarding MT and HSP70 expression and immunolocalization in a terrestrial isopod.•The exposure to Cd and Pb induced the expression of both HSP70 and MT proteins in A. vulgare hepatopancreas.•MT and HSP70 synthesis is affected by increasing accumulation of Cd and Pb.•The MT immunopositivity in individuals treated with different Pb concentrations was different for localization and intensity than that observed for the Cd-treated individuals.