Effects of inorganic mercury on the respiration and the swimming activity of shrimp larvae, Pandalus borealis

In order to test the sensitivity of respiration (physiological and potential) to mercury (Hg) contamination, larval shrimp Pandalus borealis were exposed to inorganic Hg (0–160 ppb) for 27 h in the laboratory. Oxygen consumption rates (RO2), potential respiration (determined by respiratory electron...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Endocrinology
Main Authors: St-Amand, L., Gagnon, R., Packard, T. T., Savenkoff, C.
Other Authors: 6602918307, 57197685960, 7004249480, 55996500200
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 0742-8413 1999
Subjects:
2302 Bioquímica
251001 Oceanografía biológica
ETS activity
Larvae
Mercury
Pandalus borealis
Protein
Respiration
Shrimp
Swimming activity
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10553/50863
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-8413(98)10071-3
Description
Summary:In order to test the sensitivity of respiration (physiological and potential) to mercury (Hg) contamination, larval shrimp Pandalus borealis were exposed to inorganic Hg (0–160 ppb) for 27 h in the laboratory. Oxygen consumption rates (RO2), potential respiration (determined by respiratory electron transfer system activity, ETSA), protein content, and swimming activity for zoeae III and zoeae V stages were measured. For both zoeae stages, ETSA and protein content remained constant after 27 h exposure to 160 ppb Hg whereas RO2 and swimming activity decreased. This study revealed the impact of different Hg levels and different exposure times on RO2 of shrimp larvae. After 10 h exposure to 160 ppb Hg, the RO2 decreased by 43 and 49% in zoeae III and zoeae V stages, respectively. Exposure time of 27 h to 80 ppb Hg and higher, induced paralysis in nearly 100% larvae. Surprisingly, the paralysed larvae displayed almost 50% of the control's RO2. The results showed that Hg disturbs a part of the respiration process without modifying the maximum activity of the enzymes involved in the ETSA assay. Therefore, the ETSA assay can not be used as a sublethal bioanalytic probe to detect Hg in short-term exposures. The decline of the RO2/ETSA ratios reported here, indicates an inability of contaminated larvae to adapt their metabolism to physiological stress caused by Hg.

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