ABSTRACT

Globally, there is a move towards using local, native species for ecotoxicological risk assessments. Anthropogenic stressors from urban, agricultural, and industrial activities can impact the health of receiving ecosystems. Biomarkers can provide valuable insights as early warning signals of the potential environmental impacts of stressors. The aim of this study was to develop biomarkers in the green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus), a potential bioindicator of environmental health for coastal marine ecosystems in New Zealand. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays targeting the expression of genes involved in oxidative stress, xenobiotic transfer, membrane transportation, cellular and DNA response/repair, and endocrine disruption were developed and validated for P. canaliculus. We found significant modulation of genes associated with oxidative stress, xenobiotic transfer, membrane transport, endocrine disruption, and genotoxicity in P. canaliculus following 48-hour exposures to copper and benzo[α]pyrene. These results demonstrate the potential of P. canaliculus as a bioindicator species for environmental risk assessment. The gene expression assays showed potential as early indicators of exposure to the chemicals tested but require additional validation to assess their ability to predict effects at higher levels of biological organisation.

摘要

在全球范围内，有一种趋势是使用当地的本地物种进行生态毒理学风险评估。来自城市、农业和工业活动的人为压力源可能会影响接收生态系统的健康。生物标志物可以提供有价值的见解，作为压力源潜在环境影响的早期预警信号。本研究的目的是开发绿唇贻贝（Perna canaliculus）的生物标志物，这是新西兰沿海海洋生态系统环境健康的潜在生物指标。逆转录定量聚合酶链反应 (RT-qPCR) 检测针对参与氧化应激、异生物质转移、膜运输、细胞和 DNA 响应/修复以及内分泌干扰的基因表达，并进行了验证小管P. 我们发现，在接触铜和苯并[α]芘 48 小时后，P. canaliculus中与氧化应激、外源物质转移、膜运输、内分泌干扰和遗传毒性相关的基因发生了显着调节。这些结果证明了P. canaliculus作为环境风险评估生物指示剂物种的潜力。基因表达测定显示出作为接触所测试化学物质的早期指标的潜力，但需要额外的验证来评估其预测更高水平的生物组织影响的能力。