Oxidative damage of 18S and 5S ribosomal RNA in digestive gland of mussels exposed to trace metals.

Numerous studies have shown the ability of trace metals to accumulate in marine organisms and cause oxidative stress that leads to perturbations in many important intracellular processes, including protein synthesis. This study is mainly focused on the exploration of structural changes, like base modifications, scissions, and conformational changes, caused in 18S and 5S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) isolated from the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to 40μg/L Cu, 30μg/L Hg, or 100μg/L Cd, for 5 or 15days. 18S rRNA and 5S rRNA are components of the small and large ribosomal subunit, respectively, found in complex with ribosomal proteins, translation factors and other auxiliary components (metal ions, toxins etc).

Changes of polyamine pattern in digestive glands of mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis under exposure to cadmium.

Polyamines, in particular spermidine and spermine, have been identified as important antioxidants, highly induced by oxidative stress in a variety of organisms. However, little is known about changes in polyamine content of metal-stressed marine organisms. In the present study, mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were experimentally exposed to 25 μg/L Cd(2+) or 100 μg/L Cd(2+) for up to 15 days.

Dysfunctions of the translational machinery in digestive glands of mussels exposed to mercury ions.

Mercury is an element naturally occurring in the biosphere, but is also released into the environment by human activities, such as mining, smelting, and industrial discharge. Mercury is a biologically harmful element and any exposure of living organisms mainly due to contamination, can cause severe or even lethal side effects. In every form detected, elemental, inorganic, or organic, mercury exhibits toxicity associated with induced oxidative stress.

Translational responses and oxidative stress of mussels experimentally exposed to Hg, Cu and Cd: one pattern does not fit at all.

Certain metals, like Hg, Cu and Cd, are capable of down-regulating protein synthesis in several marine organisms, including Mytilus galloprovincialis. Nevertheless, due to the complexity of the environmental stress, it is difficult to evaluate the influence of individual metals on protein synthesis via field studies. To bypass this difficulty, experimental studies were carried out on M.

Translational responses of Mytilus galloprovincialis to environmental pollution: integrating the responses to oxidative stress and other biomarker responses into a general stress index.

Heavy metals are commonly associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which may cause oxidative damage to several cellular macromolecules and organelles. In an attempt to correlate biomarker responses to oxidative stress, caged mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were exposed for 30 days in a relatively clean site and two areas (Stations 1 and 2) unevenly polluted by heavy metals in Gulf of Patras (Greece). Three periods of caging were: one in winter, the second in spring, and the third in autumn.

Evaluation of the global protein synthesis in Mytilus galloprovincialis in marine pollution monitoring: seasonal variability and correlations with other biomarkers.

Protein synthesis down-regulation is a life-saving mechanism for many organisms exposed to xenobiotics that threaten normal life. The present study was designed to assess the spatial and seasonal variability of global protein synthesis, determined in the microsomal fraction of digestive glands from caged Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels exposed for 30 days in a relatively clean region and two unevenly polluted areas (Stations 1 and 2) along the Gulf of Patras (Greece). The in vivo activity of translating ribosomes was evaluated by analyzing the translating ribosomes, polysome content, which may serve as an indicator of the efficiency of the protein-synthesizing machinery.

Biomonitoring of Gulf of Patras, N. Peloponnesus, Greece. Application of a biomarker suite including evaluation of translation efficiency in Mytilus galloprovincialis cells.

Specimens of Mytilus galloprovincialis were placed in bow nets and immersed at 3-10 m depth in a clean coastal region (reference area), Itea, and two marine stations along Gulf of Patras, N. Peloponnesus, Greece. One site is near the estuaries of the Glafkos River, which are influenced by local industrial and urban sources (Station 1); the second site, Agios Vasilios, has no evident organic pollution but is enriched in metals, particularly zinc (Station 2).