Gametogenesis-Related Fluctuations in Ovothiol Levels in the Mantle of Mussels from Different Estuaries: Fighting Oxidative Stress for Spawning in Polluted Waters.

Reactive oxygen species present a challenge for marine organisms releasing gametes into the water. Thiol-containing molecules protect cells against oxidative stress, and ovothiol (OSH), an antioxidant-reducing mercaptohistidine, has been described as especially relevant in the oocytes of marine invertebrates. Ovothiol synthase (), in charge of the first step in OSH synthesis, was sequenced in mussels, .