Partitioning of accumulated trace metals in the talitrid amphipod crustacean Orchestia gammarellus: a cautionary tale on the use of metallothionein-like proteins as biomarkers

• Published in: Aquatic toxicology Vol. 57; no. 4; pp. 225 - 242
• Main Authors: MOUNEYRAC, C, AMIARD, J. C, AMIARD-TRIQUET, C, COTTIER, A, RAINBOW, P. S, SMITH, B. D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Science 01.06.2002
• Subjects: Amphipoda; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; Biomarkers - analysis; British Isles; Copper - toxicity; Crustacea; Crustacea - metabolism; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lethal Dose 50; Marine; metallothionein; Metallothionein - analysis; Orchestia gammarellus; Techniques; Trace Elements - toxicity; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Zinc - toxicity; United Kingdom; North Atlantic; Irish Sea; Europe; Atlantic Ocean; British Isles, Wales, Dulas Bay; British Isles, Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Bute, Cumbrae Is., Great Cumbrae I., Millport; British Isles, England, Bradwell; ANE, British Isles, Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Bute, Cumbrae Is., Great Cumbrae I., Millport; ANE, British Isles, England, Essex, Bradwell-on-Sea; ANE, British Isles, Wales, Isle of Anglesey, Dulas Bay; Cadmium; Toxicity; Detoxification; Biological marker; Spatial variation; Biological monitoring; Zinc; Coastal zone; Amphipoda; Heavy metal; Crustacea; Marine environment; Arthropoda; Orchestia gammarellus; Water pollution; Invertebrata; Biological accumulation; Copper; Acid mine drainage; Metallothionein
• ISSN: 0166-445X; 1879-1514
• DOI: 10.1016/S0166-445X(01)00201-6

The induction of metallothionein-like proteins (MTLP) as biomarkers of trace metal pollution has been investigated in the talitrid amphipod Orchestia gammarellus, an established biomonitor of trace metal availabilities in coastal areas. Sensitivity to metal exposure, MTLP and copper and zinc concentrations have been examined in amphipods from a metal-contaminated site (Dulas Bay, Wales) and two clean sites (Millport, Scotland and Bradwell, England). Groups of 10 amphipods from Dulas Bay and Millport were exposed separately to one of a concentration series (1, 3.16, 10, 31.6, 100 microM) of Cu or Zn for 17 days at 10 degrees C. Specimens from Bradwell were exposed under similar conditions but the experiment was extended to 25 days with intermediate samplings at 5, 10 and 17 days and additional groups were exposed to a mixture of Cu+Zn (7:10 molar ratio). In addition, specimens from Millport were exposed to 1 or 31.6 microM Cd for 17 days. Amphipods from Dulas Bay, which had been chronically exposed to metals in their natural environment had not acquired any tolerance to Cu and Zn since the lowest LC 50s were registered in these samples. Whatever the origin of the amphipods experimentally exposed to metals and whatever the dose of exposure, both Cu and Zn remained approximately equally distributed between cytosolic and insoluble fractions in the amphipods, suggesting that mechanisms of metal storage were identical over the whole range of conditions. Concentrations of MTLP were higher in O. gammarellus from Dulas Bay than in those from Millport analysed directly after collection, although laboratory exposures to dissolved Cd, Cu or Zn have failed to demonstrate differences in the induction of MTLP between amphipods from the clean or contaminated sites. A potential role for metallothionein-like proteins as biomarkers is thus unlikely although it remains plausible that turnover of these proteins does increase in response to increased metal challenges, enabling MTLP to play a role in metal detoxification.