Version 1
: Received: 1 September 2022 / Approved: 5 September 2022 / Online: 5 September 2022 (13:19:49 CEST)
Version 2
: Received: 2 October 2022 / Approved: 6 October 2022 / Online: 6 October 2022 (09:57:16 CEST)
Bakiu, R.; Pacchini, S.; Piva, E.; Schumann, S.; Tolomeo, A.M.; Ferro, D.; Irato, P.; Santovito, G. Metallothionein Expression as a Physiological Response against Metal Toxicity in the Striped Rockcod Trematomus hansoni. Int. J. Mol. Sci.2022, 23, 12799.
Bakiu, R.; Pacchini, S.; Piva, E.; Schumann, S.; Tolomeo, A.M.; Ferro, D.; Irato, P.; Santovito, G. Metallothionein Expression as a Physiological Response against Metal Toxicity in the Striped Rockcod Trematomus hansoni. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 12799.
Bakiu, R.; Pacchini, S.; Piva, E.; Schumann, S.; Tolomeo, A.M.; Ferro, D.; Irato, P.; Santovito, G. Metallothionein Expression as a Physiological Response against Metal Toxicity in the Striped Rockcod Trematomus hansoni. Int. J. Mol. Sci.2022, 23, 12799.
Bakiu, R.; Pacchini, S.; Piva, E.; Schumann, S.; Tolomeo, A.M.; Ferro, D.; Irato, P.; Santovito, G. Metallothionein Expression as a Physiological Response against Metal Toxicity in the Striped Rockcod Trematomus hansoni. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 12799.
Abstract
Metal bioaccumulation and metallothionein (MT) expression were investigated in gills and liver of the red-blooded Antarctic teleost Trematomus hansoni with the aim to evaluate the possibility for this species to face, with adequate physiological responses, an increase of copper or cadmium concentrations in the environment. Specimens of this Antarctic fish were collected from Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea) and used for a metal exposure experiment in controlled laboratory condi-tions. The two treatments lead to a significant accumulation of both metals and an increase of gene transcription only for the MT-1. The biosynthesis of MTs was verified especially in speci-mens exposed to Cd, but the majority of these proteins were soon oxidized, probably because they were involved in cell protection against the risk of oxidative stress, by reactive oxygen spe-cies scavenging. The obtained data highlighted the phenotypic plasticity of T. hansoni, a species evolved in an environment characterized by natural high concentrations of Cu and Cd, and maybe the possibility for the Antarctic fish to face the challenges of a world that is becoming every day more toxic.
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Commenter: Gianfranco Santovito
Commenter's Conflict of Interests: Author