Hydrothermal Vents as a Possible Natural Pollution Laboratory: Metal Detoxification Mechanisms in Mussels and Fishes from Lucky Strike

Authors

  • Rui Company Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIMA), FCMA, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
  • A. Serafim Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIMA), FCMA, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
  • H. Felícia Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIMA), FCMA, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
  • R. Cosson Laboratory of Marine Biology, University of Nantes, Nantes, France
  • A. Fiala-Médioni Observatoire Océanologique, University P.M. Curie, Banyuls sur Mer, France
  • M. J. Bebianno Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIMA), FCMA, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5132/jbse.2006.01.016

Keywords:

Bathymodiolus azoricus, Hydrolagus pallidus, metallothioneins, antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation

Abstract

Deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments are considered highly toxic with high temperatures, sulphide, methane, carbon dioxide and heavy metals. Paradoxically, life at the vents exhibits high productivity and therefore provides a unique way to study the effect of long-term adaptation to environmental stress. The aim of this study was to compare the responses of some biomarkers of metal exposure between two hydrothermal species, the mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus and the chimaera fish Hydrolagus pallidus from Lucky Strike vent field. Results show high metal levels in B. azoricus compared to their coastal counterparts, especially for Ag, Cd, Cu and Zn in the gills. However, metallothionein (MT) levels were surprisingly low taking into account the metal accumulation. H. pallidus also exhibited significantly higher metal concentrations in the gills than the muscle, however with MT levels 2-fold higher in the muscle. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in the mussels were significantly higher in the gills, while glutathione peroxidases (GPx) were present mainly in the mantle, suggesting the two tissues have different antioxidant responses to deal with stress factors. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) was more evident in the gills, indicating that defence mechanisms in this tissue may not be completely effective against metal toxicity. Although the major food source for H. pallidus consists in metal overloaded mussels, no evidences of metal bioamplification were found. Chimaeras may possess other detoxification mechanisms that can be more important than MT.

Downloads

Published

20-06-2006

How to Cite

Company, R., Serafim, A., Felícia, H., Cosson, R., Fiala-Médioni, A., & Bebianno, M. J. (2006). Hydrothermal Vents as a Possible Natural Pollution Laboratory: Metal Detoxification Mechanisms in Mussels and Fishes from Lucky Strike. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Contamination, 1(1), 75–78. https://doi.org/10.5132/jbse.2006.01.016

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2006)

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2006 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Contamination

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2006 ECOTOX-Brasil

Copyright notice: It is a condition for publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not yet been published and will not be simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere. By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that copyright for their article is transferred to the Sociedade Brasileira de Ecotoxicologia (ECOTOX-Brasil) if and when the article is accepted for publication. The copyright covers the exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute articles, including reprints, photographic reproductions or any other reproduction of a similar nature, including translations. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission of the publisher.

Notice: While every effort is made by the EEC, editors and editorial board to see that no inaccurate or misleading data, opinions or statements appear in this journal, they wish to make it clear that the contents of the articles and advertisements published herein are the sole responsibility of the contributors or advertisers concerned. Accordingly, the EEC, the editorial board and editors and their respective employees, officers and agents accept no responsibility or liability whatsoever for the consequences of any inaccurate or misleading data, opinion or statement.