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Distribution of selected essential (Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se, and Zn) and nonessential (Cd, Pb) trace elements among protein fractions from hepatic cytosol of European chub (Squalius cephalus L.)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research volume 20, pages 2340–2351 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Association of selected essential (Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se, and Zn) and nonessential (Cd, Pb) trace elements with cytosolic proteins of different molecular masses was described for the liver of European chub (Squalius cephalus) from weakly contaminated Sutla River in Croatia. The principal aim was to establish basic trace element distributions among protein fractions characteristic for the fish living in the conditions of low metal exposure in the water. The fractionation of chub hepatic cytosols was carried out by size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC; Superdex™ 200 10/300 GL column), and measurements were performed by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR ICP-MS). Elution profiles of essential elements were mostly characterized by broad peaks covering wide range of molecular masses, as a sign of incorporation of essential elements in various proteins within hepatic cytosol. Exceptions were Cu and Fe, with elution profiles characterized by sharp, narrow peaks indicating their probable association with specific proteins, metallothionein (MT), and ferritin, respectively. The main feature of the elution profile of nonessential metal Cd was also single sharp, narrow peak, coinciding with MT elution time, and indicating almost complete Cd detoxification by MT under the conditions of weak metal exposure in the water (dissolved Cd concentration ≤0.3 μg L−1). Contrary, nonessential metal Pb was observed to bind to wide spectrum of proteins, mostly of medium molecular masses (30–100 kDa), after exposure to dissolved Pb concentration of ~1 μg L−1. The obtained information within this study presents the starting point for identification and characterization of specific metal/metalloid-binding proteins in chub hepatic cytosol, which could be further used as markers of metal/metalloid exposure or effect on fish.

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Acknowledgments

The financial support by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport of the Republic of Croatia (project no. 098-0982934-2721) is acknowledged. This study was carried out as a part of the Monitoring of freshwater fishery in 2009—Group D—Fishing area Sava River, Sutla River, funded by Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development of the Republic of Croatia. Special thanks are due to our colleagues from the Laboratory for Aquaculture and Pathology of Aquatic Organisms for collaboration on the common fish sampling, to Željka Strižak, B.Sc. for the assistance in the field work and metal analyses, as well as to Dr. Nevenka Mikac from the Laboratory for Inorganic Environmental Geochemistry for the opportunity to use HR ICP-MS.

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  1. Laboratory for Biological Effects of Metals, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, P.O. Box 180, 10002, Zagreb, Croatia

    Nesrete Krasnići, Zrinka Dragun, Marijana Erk & Biserka Raspor

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  1. Nesrete Krasnići
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  2. Zrinka Dragun
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Correspondence to Zrinka Dragun.

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Krasnići, N., Dragun, Z., Erk, M. et al. Distribution of selected essential (Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se, and Zn) and nonessential (Cd, Pb) trace elements among protein fractions from hepatic cytosol of European chub (Squalius cephalus L.). Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 2340–2351 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1105-8

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Keywords

  • European chub
  • Hepatic cytosol
  • Trace elements
  • Proteins
  • SE-HPLC
  • HR ICP-MS