Methylmercury and selenium speciation in different tissues of beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas) from the western Canadian Arctic
Abstract Monitoring data have shown that the total monomethylmercury (CH 3 Hg + and its complexes; collectively referred as MeHg hereafter) concentrations in Arctic marine mammals have remained very high in recent decades. Toward a better understanding of the metabolic and toxicological implications...
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crwiley:10.1002/etc.684 2024-06-02T08:00:14+00:00 Methylmercury and selenium speciation in different tissues of beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas) from the western Canadian Arctic Lemes, Marcos Wang, Feiyue Stern, Gary A. Ostertag, Sonja K. Chan, Hing Man 2011 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.684 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fetc.684 https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/etc.684 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry volume 30, issue 12, page 2732-2738 ISSN 0730-7268 1552-8618 journal-article 2011 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.684 2024-05-03T10:39:08Z Abstract Monitoring data have shown that the total monomethylmercury (CH 3 Hg + and its complexes; collectively referred as MeHg hereafter) concentrations in Arctic marine mammals have remained very high in recent decades. Toward a better understanding of the metabolic and toxicological implications of these high levels of MeHg, we report here on the molecular forms of MeHg in the muscle, brain, liver, and kidneys of 10 beluga whales from the western Canadian Arctic. In all tissues analyzed, monomethylmercury was found to be dominated by methylmercuric cysteinate, a specific form of MeHg believed to be able to transport across the blood–brain barrier. Another MeHg–thiol complex, methylmercuric glutathionate, was also detected in the muscle and, to a much lesser extent, in the liver and brain tissues. Furthermore, a profound inorganic Hg peak was detected in the liver and brain tissues, which showed the same retention time as a selenium (Se) peak, suggesting the presence of an Hg–Se complex, most likely an inorganic Hg complex with a selenoamino acid. These results provide the first analytical support that the binding of MeHg with glutathione and Se may have protected beluga whales from the toxic effect of high concentrations of MeHg in their body. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:2732–2738. © 2011 SETAC Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic marine mammals Arctic Beluga Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Wiley Online Library Arctic Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 30 12 2732 2738 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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English |
description |
Abstract Monitoring data have shown that the total monomethylmercury (CH 3 Hg + and its complexes; collectively referred as MeHg hereafter) concentrations in Arctic marine mammals have remained very high in recent decades. Toward a better understanding of the metabolic and toxicological implications of these high levels of MeHg, we report here on the molecular forms of MeHg in the muscle, brain, liver, and kidneys of 10 beluga whales from the western Canadian Arctic. In all tissues analyzed, monomethylmercury was found to be dominated by methylmercuric cysteinate, a specific form of MeHg believed to be able to transport across the blood–brain barrier. Another MeHg–thiol complex, methylmercuric glutathionate, was also detected in the muscle and, to a much lesser extent, in the liver and brain tissues. Furthermore, a profound inorganic Hg peak was detected in the liver and brain tissues, which showed the same retention time as a selenium (Se) peak, suggesting the presence of an Hg–Se complex, most likely an inorganic Hg complex with a selenoamino acid. These results provide the first analytical support that the binding of MeHg with glutathione and Se may have protected beluga whales from the toxic effect of high concentrations of MeHg in their body. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:2732–2738. © 2011 SETAC |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lemes, Marcos Wang, Feiyue Stern, Gary A. Ostertag, Sonja K. Chan, Hing Man |
spellingShingle |
Lemes, Marcos Wang, Feiyue Stern, Gary A. Ostertag, Sonja K. Chan, Hing Man Methylmercury and selenium speciation in different tissues of beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas) from the western Canadian Arctic |
author_facet |
Lemes, Marcos Wang, Feiyue Stern, Gary A. Ostertag, Sonja K. Chan, Hing Man |
author_sort |
Lemes, Marcos |
title |
Methylmercury and selenium speciation in different tissues of beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas) from the western Canadian Arctic |
title_short |
Methylmercury and selenium speciation in different tissues of beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas) from the western Canadian Arctic |
title_full |
Methylmercury and selenium speciation in different tissues of beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas) from the western Canadian Arctic |
title_fullStr |
Methylmercury and selenium speciation in different tissues of beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas) from the western Canadian Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Methylmercury and selenium speciation in different tissues of beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas) from the western Canadian Arctic |
title_sort |
methylmercury and selenium speciation in different tissues of beluga whales ( delphinapterus leucas) from the western canadian arctic |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.684 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fetc.684 https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/etc.684 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic marine mammals Arctic Beluga Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas |
genre_facet |
Arctic marine mammals Arctic Beluga Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas |
op_source |
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry volume 30, issue 12, page 2732-2738 ISSN 0730-7268 1552-8618 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.684 |
container_title |
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry |
container_volume |
30 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
2732 |
op_container_end_page |
2738 |
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1800744218647330816 |