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. 2016 Dec 22;11(12):e0168978.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168978. eCollection 2016.

Effects of Antifouling Biocides on Molecular and Biochemical Defense System in the Gill of the Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas

Mi Seon Park  1 , Young Dae Kim  1 , Bo-Mi Kim  2 , Youn-Jung Kim  3 , Jang Kyun Kim  3   4 , Jae-Sung Rhee  3   4   5
Affiliations

Effects of Antifouling Biocides on Molecular and Biochemical Defense System in the Gill of the Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas

Mi Seon Park et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Antifouling biocides such as organotin compounds and their alternatives are potent toxicants in marine ecosystems. In this study, we employed several molecular and biochemical response systems of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas to understand a potential mode of action of antifouling biocides (i.e. tributyltin (TBT), diuron and irgarol) after exposure to different concentrations (0.01, 0.1, and 1 μg L-1) for 96 h. As a result, all the three antifouling biocides strongly induced the antioxidant defense system. TBT reduced both enzymatic activity and mRNA expression of Na+/K+-ATPase and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Lower levels of both Na+/K+-ATPase activity and AChE mRNA expression were observed in the diuron-exposed oysters compared to the control, while the irgarol treatment reduced only the transcriptional expression of AChE gene. We also analyzed transcript profile of heat shock protein (Hsp) superfamily in same experimental conditions. All antifouling biocides tested in this study significantly modulated mRNA expression of Hsp superfamily with strong induction of Hsp70 family. Taken together, overall results indicate that representative organotin TBT and alternatives have potential hazardous effects on the gill of C. gigas within relatively short time period. Our results also suggest that analyzing a series of molecular and biochemical parameters can be a way of understanding and uncovering the mode of action of emerging antifouling biocides. In particular, it was revealed that Pacific oysters have different sensitivities depend on the antifouling biocides.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Effects of three antifouling biocides, TBT, diuron, and irgarol on MDA content in the gill of Crassostrea gigas.
Data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation (S.D.). Significant difference compared with control value is indicated by an asterisk (*) on the data bar (p < 0.05).
Fig 2
Fig 2. Effects of three antifouling biocides, TBT, diuron, and irgarol on antioxidant defense system in the gill of Crassostrea gigas.
A) Results of TBT-exposed oysters. B) Results of diuron-exposed oysters. C) Results of irgarol-exposed oysters. The remaining activities were recorded as percentages relative to the control. Data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation (S.D.). Significant difference compared with control value is indicated by an asterisk (*) on the data bar (p < 0.05).
Fig 3
Fig 3. Transcriptional profiles of Crassostrea gigas antioxidant defense system in response to different concentrations of TBT, diuron, and irgarol.
Heat map analysis for effects of TBT, diuron, and irgarol on transcriptional expressions of Hsp superfamily.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Effects of three antifouling biocides, TBT, diuron, and irgarol on Na+/K+-ATPase in the gill of Crassostrea gigas.
A) Effects of TBT, diuron, and irgarol on enzymatic activity of Na+/K+-ATPase. B) Effects of TBT, diuron, and irgarol on mRNA expression of Na+/K+-ATPase α subunit. Data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation (S.D.). Significant difference compared with control value is indicated by an asterisk (*) on the data bar (p < 0.05).
Fig 5
Fig 5. Effects of three antifouling biocides, TBT, diuron, and irgarol on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the gill of Crassostrea gigas.
A) Effects of TBT, diuron, and irgarol on enzymatic activity of AChE. B) Effects of TBT, diuron, and irgarol on mRNA expression of AChE gene. Data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation (S.D.). Significant difference compared with control value is indicated by an asterisk (*) on the data bar (p < 0.05).
Fig 6
Fig 6. Transcriptional profiles of Crassostrea gigas heat shock protein (Hsp) superfamily in response to different concentrations of TBT, diuron, and irgarol.
A) Heat map analysis for effects of TBT, diuron, and irgarol on transcriptional expressions of Hsp superfamily. B) Expression profiles are represented by a heat map with hierarchical clustering analysis.
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