Seawater contains metals such as cadmium, zinc, copper, and mercury, normally present in trace amounts. However, as a consequence of environmental pollution, their concentration might increase, causing damage to marine organisms. Similarly, the UV-B radiation might affect marine organisms, given its increase in the environment as a result of the ozone layer reduction. In previous studies we have shown that P. lividus embryos continuously exposed to sub-lethal CdCl2 concentrations showed developmental abnormalities, increased expression of the detoxification gene metallothionein (Pl-MT) and increased levels of the HSP70 and HSP60 stress proteins. When embryos were exposed to UV-B, we found morphological malformation and modulations in the differentiation (SM30) and stress (p38, HSP70, Pl-14.3.3?) markers, at both the protein and gene levels. In this study we investigated the effects of the combined exposure to CdCl2 and UV-B radiation. We found that the two agents act synergistically causing morphological malformations, mainly affecting skeleton pattern in 76% of embryos at the pluteus stage. By q-PCR we found a remarkable up-regulation of the Pl-MT and Pl-14.3.3? genes at 24 hours after exposure. By WMISH we found a specific labelling of the intestine in gastrula and pluteus control embryos using both Pl-MT and Pl-14.3.3? RNA probes. After exposure to CdCl2/UV-B we observed that Pl-MT and Pl-14.3.3? mRNA were expressed also in other embryonic territories. The combination of the two agents induced an increase of the HSP70 and p63 protein levels, as observed by Western blotting 24 hours after treatment. In preliminary experiments of cellular fractionation at 48 hours, we found a preferential distribution of HSP70 and p63 proteins in different cellular compartments of treated embryos. In brief, sea urchin embryos have been proven to possess a protective machinery activated at the transcriptional and translational levels in response to chemical and physical agents.
A combination of Cadmium and UV-B radiation impairs sea urchin embryo development and induces cell stress response at the gene and protein levels.
R Bonaventura;R Russo;F Zito;C Costa;V Matranga
2012
Abstract
Seawater contains metals such as cadmium, zinc, copper, and mercury, normally present in trace amounts. However, as a consequence of environmental pollution, their concentration might increase, causing damage to marine organisms. Similarly, the UV-B radiation might affect marine organisms, given its increase in the environment as a result of the ozone layer reduction. In previous studies we have shown that P. lividus embryos continuously exposed to sub-lethal CdCl2 concentrations showed developmental abnormalities, increased expression of the detoxification gene metallothionein (Pl-MT) and increased levels of the HSP70 and HSP60 stress proteins. When embryos were exposed to UV-B, we found morphological malformation and modulations in the differentiation (SM30) and stress (p38, HSP70, Pl-14.3.3?) markers, at both the protein and gene levels. In this study we investigated the effects of the combined exposure to CdCl2 and UV-B radiation. We found that the two agents act synergistically causing morphological malformations, mainly affecting skeleton pattern in 76% of embryos at the pluteus stage. By q-PCR we found a remarkable up-regulation of the Pl-MT and Pl-14.3.3? genes at 24 hours after exposure. By WMISH we found a specific labelling of the intestine in gastrula and pluteus control embryos using both Pl-MT and Pl-14.3.3? RNA probes. After exposure to CdCl2/UV-B we observed that Pl-MT and Pl-14.3.3? mRNA were expressed also in other embryonic territories. The combination of the two agents induced an increase of the HSP70 and p63 protein levels, as observed by Western blotting 24 hours after treatment. In preliminary experiments of cellular fractionation at 48 hours, we found a preferential distribution of HSP70 and p63 proteins in different cellular compartments of treated embryos. In brief, sea urchin embryos have been proven to possess a protective machinery activated at the transcriptional and translational levels in response to chemical and physical agents.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
