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Metallothionein biosynthesis as a detoxification mechanism in mercury exposure in fish, spotted scat (Scatophagus argus)

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Abstract

It is of crucial importance to study on the biomarkers types to assess the specification of the pollutants and health status of marine ecosystems in environmental evaluation projects. In this respect, total metallothionein biosynthesis and mercury bioaccumulation in the liver and gills under acute mercury exposure were investigated in fish, Scat (Scatophagus argus). Spotted scat was exposed to different mercury concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30) for 24, 48, 72 h. Total MT levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Mercury contents were determined through cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). Induction of MT during exposure was tissue specific, displaying different response pattern in gills and liver. Mercury accumulated in liver much higher than in gills and the latter also showed lower MT level (P < 0.05). MT biosynthesis in liver showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase after exposure to different mercury concentration with increase in exposure time, whereas total MT content did not significantly (P > 0.05) change in gills except for 72 h exposure at 30 μg l−1. Nonetheless, the relationship between MT biosynthesis and Mercury bioaccumulation in both tissues was significant (P < 0.05). The results suggest that this form of MT in S. argus was Hg inducible and could be extended as a biomarker of mercury pollution in marine ecosystems.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to Dr A. N. Mohanty (CIFA) Bhubaneswer India and Mr Edgi pour for critically going through the article and suggesting improvement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Science and Technology University, P.O. Box 43175-64199, Khoramshahr, Iran

    Mahmood Sinaie & Majid Shekari

  2. Marine Living Sciences Department, Iranian National Center for Oceanography (INCO), Tehran, 1411813389, Iran

    Kazem Darvish Bastami

  3. Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran

    Masoud Ghorbanpour & Hossein Najafzadeh

  4. Fisheries Faculty, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, P.O. Box 45165-386, Gorgan, Iran

    Sara Haghparast

Authors
  1. Mahmood Sinaie
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  2. Kazem Darvish Bastami
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  3. Masoud Ghorbanpour
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  4. Hossein Najafzadeh
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  5. Majid Shekari
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  6. Sara Haghparast
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Correspondence to Kazem Darvish Bastami.

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Sinaie, M., Bastami, K.D., Ghorbanpour, M. et al. Metallothionein biosynthesis as a detoxification mechanism in mercury exposure in fish, spotted scat (Scatophagus argus). Fish Physiol Biochem 36, 1235–1242 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-010-9403-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-010-9403-x

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