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. 2016 Feb 26:3:364-372.
doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2016.02.006. eCollection 2016.

Exposure of the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) to sediments contaminated with heavy metals down-regulates the gene expression of stress biomarkers

Said Benhamed  1 , Francisco A Guardiola  2 , Salvadora Martínez  3 , M J Martínez-Sánchez  3 , Carmen Pérez-Sirvent  3 , Mohammed Mars  1 , María A Esteban  2
Affiliations

Exposure of the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) to sediments contaminated with heavy metals down-regulates the gene expression of stress biomarkers

Said Benhamed et al. Toxicol Rep. .

Abstract

Heavy metals incidence in the aquatic environment and its accumulation in fish are under constant review. Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) specimens were exposed for two weeks to sediments highly concentrated in metals, collected at the Portman Bay (Murcia, Spain). The metals bioaccumulation was tested in liver, muscle and skin. The potential of the sediment exposure to induce variation of the stress biomarkers genes was conducted in liver and skin. Results revealed that sediments were highly contaminated with metals. However, following 2 weeks exposure to the sediments, Cd accumulates only in liver. Interestingly, the expression of the genes mta, hsp 70 and hsp 90 were significantly down-regulated in skin. Nevertheless, cyp1a1 gene was up-regulated only in liver. Results uphold that the stress response magnitude was organ-dependent and the skin was the most responsive tissue to metal stress conditions. These results suggest that skin should be considered as target organ for biomarkers analysis in fishes.

Keywords: Gene expression; Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata); Heavy metals; Stress biomarkers.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Photograph of the sampling sites of yellow and black sediments used in the present work from the area of Portman Bay (Murcia, Spain).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Expression of metallothionein (mta) gene determined by real-time PCR in liver and skin of gilthead seabream specimens after 15 days of exposure to heavy metals polluted sediments. All values represent the mean ± S.D. (n = 6) fold increase relative to control. Asterisks denote significant differences between unexposed (control) and polluted sediments exposed groups (P ≤ 0.05).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Expression of heat-shock protein 70 (hsp70) gene determined by real-time PCR in liver and skin of gilthead seabream specimens after 15 days of exposure to heavy metals polluted sediments. All values represent the mean ± S.D. (n = 6) fold increase relative to control.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Expression of heat-shock protein 90 (hsp90) gene determined by real-time PCR in liver and skin of gilthead seabream specimens after 15 days of exposure to heavy metals polluted sediments. All values represent the mean ± S.D. (n = 6) fold increase relative to control. Asterisks denote significant differences between unexposed (control) and polluted sediments exposed groups (P ≤ 0.05).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Expression of gene cytochrome P450 1A (cyp1a1) determined by real-time PCR in liver and skin of gilthead seabream specimens after 15 days of exposure to heavy metals polluted sediments. All values represent the mean ± S.D. (n = 6) fold increase relative to control. Asterisks denote significant differences between unexposed and polluted sediments exposed groups (P ≤ 0.05).
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