abstract
The responses of Dicentrarchus labrax and Liza aurata to aquatic pollution were assessed in a contaminated coastal lagoon, using both traditional and novel biomarkers combined. DNA damage, assessed by comet assay, was higher in both fish species from the contaminated sites, whereas levels of cytochrome P450 1A1 gene expression were not significantly altered. The liver histopathological analysis also revealed significant lesions in fish from contaminated sites. Alterations in ras and xpf genes were analysed and additional pollutant-responsive genes were identified. While no alterations were found in ras gene, a downregulation of xpf gene was observed in D. labrax from a contaminated site. Suppression subtractive hybridization applied to D. labrax collected at a contaminated site, revealed altered expression in genes involved in energy metabolism, immune system activity and antioxidant response. The approach and results reported herein demonstrate the utility of anchoring traditional biomarker responses alongside novel biomarker responses. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
keywords
EXXON-VALDEZ OIL; PLATICHTHYS-FLESUS; EUROPEAN FLOUNDER; PINK SALMON; EXPRESSION; MUTATIONS; POLLUTION; GENES; BIOTRANSFORMATION; PORTUGAL
subject category
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
authors
Nogueira, P; Pacheco, M; Pereira, ML; Mendo, S; Rotchell, JM
our authors
Maria de Lourdes Gomes Pereira
Associate Professor with Aggregationacknowledgements
This work was supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia through a grant to Patricia Nogueira (SFRH/BD/16763/2004). The authors would like to thank Aldiro Pereira, Rui Marques, Sonia Ferreira and Pedro Vieira for their technical assistance.