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Chung C, Baier S, McClements DJ, Decker EA. Stabilization of myoglobin from different species (produced by cellular agriculture) using food-grade natural and synthetic antioxidants. Food Res Int 2024; 178:113965. [PMID: 38309880 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.113965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Cellular agriculture products, like myoglobin, are increasingly used by the food industry to provide desirable sensory properties to plant-based meat substitutes. This study elucidated the physicochemical properties and redox stability of myoglobin from both natural (equine) and cellular agriculture (bovine, sperm whale, and leopard) sources. The electrical characteristics and water-solubility of the different myoglobin samples were measured from pH 2.5 to 8.5. The isoelectric point of the myoglobin samples depended on the species, being pH 5.5 for equine, pH 4.5 for leopard and bovine, and pH 6.5 for sperm whale. All myoglobin samples had a solubility greater than 80% across the entire pH range studied. All myoglobin solutions appeared red and had two peaks in their UV-visible absorbance spectra after one day, which is consistent with oxymyoglobin formation. Equine myoglobin at pH 8 was selected to study its redox and color stability over time, where the oxymyoglobin oxidative status closely paralleled with the redness of the solutions. The effects of antioxidants (ascorbic acid, caffeic acid, catechin, gallic acid, quercetin, taxifolin, Trolox, and 4-methylcatechol) on the redox and color stability (redness) of the equine myoglobin (pH 8.0) was also studied. Antioxidants with low reduction potential values (ascorbic acid and quercetin) were particularly effective at enhancing the color stability of oxymyoglobin. The computational modeling study showed that amino acids on the myoglobin interacted with antioxidants through hydrogen bonds. The insights obtained may have important implications for the use of cellular agriculture to produce myoglobin for food applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl Chung
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | - Stefan Baier
- Motif Foodworks, Design Building, 27 Drydock Ave, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | | | - Eric Andrew Decker
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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2
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Pinzone M, Damseaux F, Michel LN, Das K. Stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur and mercury concentrations as descriptors of trophic ecology and contamination sources of Mediterranean whales. Chemosphere 2019; 237:124448. [PMID: 31398606 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The Mediterranean Sea remains a complex system for mercury (Hg) cycling and accumulation in marine vertebrates. The extremely high levels these animals present demand for an urgent understanding of such processes and the development of new analytical techniques that go beyond the simple contamination monitoring. It was often proposed that prey selection or habitat use may affect Hg contamination in animals; however, it was never possible to measure which factor influences more rates and pathways of contamination. In this paper, we directly integrate toxicological information (Hg levels) and ecological tracers (stable isotopes of C, N and S) into a common data analysis framework (isotopic niches), with the aim of quantifying the influence of species' trophic behaviour on Hg contamination. The analysis was conducted on skin biopsies of fin whales Balaenoptera physalus, long-finned pilot whales Globicephala melas and sperm whales Physeter microcephalus. Their different trophic modes and residency in the area make them model species for the analysis of Hg accumulation along NWMS food webs. We measured Total Hg (T-Hg) concentrations through absorbance spectrometry with the DMA80 Milestone. Carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotope compositions were measured via mass spectrometry in an IRMS coupled to an Elemental Analyser (EA) Isoprime. Comparison of ecological and contamination niches allowed to explain Hg accumulation in Mediterranean marine predators. Factors such as food web complexity, trophic position, hunting distribution or habitat use (e.g., foraging depth) did not influence Hg exposure. It is rather the selection of prey type, which determines the range of potential Hg sources and as a consequence the rates of accumulation in whales' tissues. A generalist piscivorous species such as the pilot whales will bioaccumulate more Hg than specialised sperm whales feeding mostly on cephalopods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Pinzone
- Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS), Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
| | - France Damseaux
- Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS), Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
| | - Loïc N Michel
- Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS), Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Krishna Das
- Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS), Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
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3
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Alexiadou P, Foskolos I, Frantzis A. Ingestion of macroplastics by odontocetes of the Greek Seas, Eastern Mediterranean: Often deadly! Mar Pollut Bull 2019; 146:67-75. [PMID: 31426207 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is an omnipresent problem that threatens marine animals through ingestion and entanglement. Marine mammals are no exception to this rule but their interaction with plastic remains understudied in the Mediterranean Sea. Here we highlight this problem by analyzing the stomach contents of 34 individuals from seven odontocete species stranded in Greece. Macroplastic (>5 mm) was found in the stomachs of nine individuals from four species (harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena, Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus, Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris and sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus) with the highest frequency of occurrence in sperm whales (60%). Gastric blockage from plastic was presumably lethal in three cases, with plastic bags being the most common finding (46%). Plastic ingestion is of particular conservation concern for the endangered Mediterranean sperm whales. A regular examination of stranded cetaceans with a standardised protocol is critical for allowing spatiotemporal comparisons within and across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paraskevi Alexiadou
- Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, Terpsichoris 21, 16671 Vouliagmeni, Greece
| | - Ilias Foskolos
- Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, Terpsichoris 21, 16671 Vouliagmeni, Greece.
| | - Alexandros Frantzis
- Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, Terpsichoris 21, 16671 Vouliagmeni, Greece
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Wise JP, Croom-Perez TJ, Meaza I, Aboueissa AM, López Montalvo CA, Martin-Bras M, Speer RM, Bonilla-Garzón A, Urbán R J, Perkins C, Wise JP. A whale of a tale: A One Environmental Health approach to study metal pollution in the Sea of Cortez. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2019; 376:58-69. [PMID: 31078588 PMCID: PMC6602082 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Marine metal pollution is an emerging concern for human, animal, and ecosystem health. We considered metal pollution in the Sea of Cortez, which is a relatively isolated sea rich in biodiversity. Here there are potentially significant anthropogenic inputs of pollution from agriculture and metal mining. We considered the levels of 23 heavy metals and selenium in seven distinct cetacean species found in the area. Our efforts considered two different periods of time: 1999 and 2016/17. We considered the metal levels in relation to (1) all species together across years, (2) differences between suborders Odontoceti and Mysticeti, (3) each species individually across years, and (4) gender differences for each of these comparisons. We further compared metal levels found in sperm whale skin samples collected during these voyages to a previous voyage in 1999, to assess changes in metal levels over a longer timescale. The metals Mg, Fe, Al, and Zn were found at the highest concentrations across all species and all years. For sperm whales, we observed decreased metal levels from 1999 to 2016/2017, except for iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), and chromium (Cr), which either increased or did not change during this time period. These results indicate a recent change in the metal input to the Sea of Cortez, which may indicate a decreased concern for human, animal, and ecosystem health for some metals, but raises concern for the genotoxic metals Cr and Ni. This work was supported by NIEHS grant ES016893 (J.P.W.) and numerous donors to the Wise Laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Pierce Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 500 S Preston St, Rm 1422, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Tayler J Croom-Perez
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 500 S Preston St, Rm 1422, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Idoia Meaza
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 500 S Preston St, Rm 1422, Louisville, KY, USA
| | | | - Carlos A López Montalvo
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur. La Paz, BCS, México
| | - Mark Martin-Bras
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 500 S Preston St, Rm 1422, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Rachel M Speer
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 500 S Preston St, Rm 1422, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Andrea Bonilla-Garzón
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur. La Paz, BCS, México
| | - Jorge Urbán R
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur. La Paz, BCS, México
| | - Christopher Perkins
- Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - John Pierce Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 500 S Preston St, Rm 1422, Louisville, KY, USA.
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Zhan F, Yu X, Zhang X, Chen L, Sun X, Yu RQ, Wu Y. Tissue distribution of organic contaminants in stranded pregnant sperm whale (Physeter microcephalus) from the Huizhou coast of the South China Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 2019; 144:181-188. [PMID: 31179986 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Twelve persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were measured in 11 tissue samples from a pregnant sperm whale stranded on the Huizhou coast of the South China Sea, China, in March 2017. POPs were found to be more concentrated in the irrigated tissues such as placenta, ovary, mammary gland, and liver than the less irrigated tissues such as epidermis. High POP levels detected in the placenta might result in abnormal hormone secretion in the placenta, which would affect the unborn offspring. We hypothesized that ovary is potentially vulnerable to the exposure of higher contaminant levels. The PAH concentrations were higher in the lung than in other tissues, which suggest that PAH levels in the lung were breath-dependent in the sperm whale. The concentrations of POPs except PAHs in the sperm whale blubber were lower than those in the same species in the Northern Hemisphere and were comparable to or lower than those in the same species in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengping Zhan
- Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering (Guangdong, Zhuhai), Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Xinjian Yu
- Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering (Guangdong, Zhuhai), Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Xiyang Zhang
- Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering (Guangdong, Zhuhai), Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Laiguo Chen
- Urban Environment and Ecology Research Center, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences (SCIES), Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Xian Sun
- Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering (Guangdong, Zhuhai), Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
| | - Ri-Qing Yu
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX 75799, USA
| | - Yuping Wu
- Southern Laboratory of Ocean Science and Engineering (Guangdong, Zhuhai), Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
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6
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Méndez-Fernandez P, Kiszka JJ, Heithaus MR, Beal A, Vandersarren G, Caurant F, Spitz J, Taniguchi S, Montone RC. From banana fields to the deep blue: Assessment of chlordecone contamination of oceanic cetaceans in the eastern Caribbean. Mar Pollut Bull 2018; 137:56-60. [PMID: 30503469 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In the French West Indies (Caribbean), the insecticide Chlordecone (CLD) has been extensively used to reduce banana weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) infestations in banana plantations. Previous studies have shown high CLD concentrations in freshwater and coastal communities of the region. CLD concentrations, however, have not yet been assessed in marine top predators. We investigated CLD concentrations in cetacean blubber tissues from Guadeloupe, including Physeter macrocephalus, Lagenodelphis hosei, Stenella attenuata and Pseudorca crassidens. Chlordecone was detected in all blubber samples analysed, with the exception of four P. macrocephalus. Concentrations (range: 1 to 329 ng·g-1 of lipid weight) were, however, lower than those found in species from fresh and brackish water. Ecological factors (open ocean habitat), CLD kinetics, and cetacean metabolism (high or specific enzymatic activity) might explain low concentrations found in cetacean blubber. Future analyses that include internal organ sampling would help to confirm CLD levels observed in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Méndez-Fernandez
- Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Observatoire Pelagis, UMS 3462 Université de La Rochelle/CNRS, 5 allées de l'Océan, 17000 La Rochelle, France.
| | - Jeremy J Kiszka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Michael R Heithaus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Andria Beal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Gaëlle Vandersarren
- CAR-SPAW, Parc National de Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe, French West Indies, France
| | - Florence Caurant
- Centre d'études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 Université de La Rochelle/CNRS, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17042 La Rochelle Cedex 01, France
| | - Jérôme Spitz
- Observatoire Pelagis, UMS 3462 Université de La Rochelle/CNRS, 5 allées de l'Océan, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Satie Taniguchi
- Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rosalinda C Montone
- Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Zaccaroni A, Andreini R, Franzellitti S, Barceló D, Eljarrat E. Halogenated flame retardants in stranded sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) from the Mediterranean Sea. Sci Total Environ 2018; 635:892-900. [PMID: 29710611 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, decline of marine mammals' populations and increased frequency of strandings have arised the interest on the role that pollution may have in these events. The present work aimed at quantifying levels of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and dechloranes (DECs) in tissues of 3 adult females and one foetus of sperm whales stranded in the Southern Adriatic Sea coasts (Italy). Results proved the presence of different flame retardants (FRs) in tissues of sperm whales, including various polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) congeners (47, 99, 100, 154, entering the composition of PentaBDE mixture), hexabromocyclodecanes (HBCDs), Dec 602 and methoxylated polibrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-BDEs). In blubber, a target tissue for contaminant accumulation, ΣPBDEs reached values of 160, 158 and 183 ng/g lw, α-HBCD of 5.75 ng/g lw, Dec 602 of 1632 ng/g lw and MeO-BDEs of 563 ng/g lw. The availability of foetal tissues allowed evaluating the potential maternal transfer on many of these compounds, and to discuss the potential adverse effects on foetal health. To the best of our knowledge, obtained data are the first reporting placental transfer of FRs in sperm whales. PBDE levels detected in foetus suggested a potentially long-term exposure to BFRs, which could cause severe damages to the developing organism, likely at the cerebral, endocrine and immunologic levels. Dec 602, which was detected at the highest concentrations among all FRs considered, could potentially cause dysfunctional effects on the immune system of adult females.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Zaccaroni
- Large Pelagic Vertebrates Research Group, Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; MarLab, Place du Chateau 7, 06250 Mougins, France
| | - R Andreini
- Large Pelagic Vertebrates Research Group, Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; MarLab, Place du Chateau 7, 06250 Mougins, France
| | - S Franzellitti
- Animal and Environmental Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - D Barceló
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - E Eljarrat
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
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Wise JP, Wise JTF, Wise CF, Wise SS, Gianios C, Xie H, Walter R, Boswell M, Zhu C, Zheng T, Perkins C, Wise JP. A three year study of metal levels in skin biopsies of whales in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil crisis. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2018; 205:15-25. [PMID: 29277452 PMCID: PMC5825280 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
In response to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon and the massive release of oil that followed, we conducted three annual research voyages to investigate how the oil spill would impact the marine offshore environment. Most investigations into the ecological and toxicological impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil crisis have mainly focused on the fate of the oil and dispersants, but few have considered the release of metals into the environment. From studies of previous oil spills, other marine oil industries, and analyses of oil compositions, it is evident that metals are frequently encountered. Several metals have been reported in the MC252 oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including the nonessential metals aluminum, arsenic, chromium, nickel, and lead; genotoxic metals, such as these are able to damage DNA and can bioaccumulate in organisms resulting in persistent exposure. In the Gulf of Mexico, whales are the apex species; hence we collected skin biopsies from sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), and Bryde's whales (Balaenoptera edeni). The results from our three-year study of monitoring metal levels in whale skin show (1) genotoxic metals at concentrations higher than global averages previously reported and (2) patterns for MC252-relevant metal concentrations decreasing with time from the oil spill.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Pierce Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - James T F Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, Division of Nutritional Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Catherine F Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - Sandra S Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - Christy Gianios
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - Hong Xie
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - Ron Walter
- Texas State University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 419 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
| | - Mikki Boswell
- Texas State University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 419 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
| | - Cairong Zhu
- West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, No.17 Section 3, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610044, China
| | | | - Christopher Perkins
- Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - John Pierce Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA.
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9
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Unger B, Rebolledo ELB, Deaville R, Gröne A, IJsseldijk LL, Leopold MF, Siebert U, Spitz J, Wohlsein P, Herr H. Large amounts of marine debris found in sperm whales stranded along the North Sea coast in early 2016. Mar Pollut Bull 2016; 112:134-141. [PMID: 27539635 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
30 sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) stranded along the coasts of the North Sea between January and February 2016. The gastro-intestinal tracts of 22 of the carcasses were investigated. Marine debris including netting, ropes, foils, packaging material and a part of a car were found in nine of the 22 individuals. Here we provide details about the findings and consequences for the animals. While none of the items was responsible for the death of the animal, the findings demonstrate the high level of exposure to marine debris and associated risks for large predators, such as the sperm whale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Unger
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation. Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | | | - Rob Deaville
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Andrea Gröne
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, PO Box 80158, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lonneke L IJsseldijk
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, PO Box 80158, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mardik F Leopold
- IMARES Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, The Netherlands
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation. Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
| | - Jérôme Spitz
- Observatoire PELAGIS, UMS 3462, University of La Rochelle/CNRS, 5 allées de l'océan, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Peter Wohlsein
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation. Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Helena Herr
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation. Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany.
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10
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Savery LC, Chen TL, Wise JTF, Wise SS, Gianios C, Buonagurio J, Perkins C, Falank C, Zheng T, Zhu C, Wise JP. Global assessment of cadmium concentrations in the skin of free-ranging sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2015; 178:136-144. [PMID: 26456815 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2015.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium is a non-essential, toxic metal found accumulated in the organs of stranded cetaceans. Currently, there is no baseline cadmium concentration reported in a free-ranging, pelagic cetacean. The aim was to determine cadmium concentrations in the skin of free-ranging sperm whales (n=340) collected from 16 regions around the world during the voyage of the Odyssey (2000-2005) considering region, gender, and age in males. Cadmium was detected in 81% of skin biopsies with a mean of 0.3±0.04μg/g ww (0.02 to 12.4μg/g ww). These concentrations were higher than reported in literature in toothed whale skin (0.002-0.1μg/g ww). Concentrations by region were significantly different (p<0.0001) with the highest mean in Maldives and the Sea of Cortez (0.8 and 0.6μg/g ww, respectively). There was no significant difference in cadmium concentration by gender (p=0.42). Cadmium is known to have a long biological half-life, and cadmium concentrations in males were significantly higher in adults with a mean of 0.3μg/g ww compared to subadults with 0.2μg/g ww (p=0.03). Selenium, an element that binds to cadmium inhibiting its toxicity, had a moderately positive correlation with cadmium (r=0.41). Mercury, a toxic metal that positively correlates with cadmium in cetacean tissue, had a weakly positive relationship (r=0.20). The regional baselines reported in this study may be used to develop residue criteria for prediction of toxicological risk in sperm whale skin. Additionally, this study shows the extent of cadmium exposure in a pelagic cetacean that has global distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Savery
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Prescott Street, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; Wise Laboratory Field Research Program, 1320 19th Street, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | - Tânia Li Chen
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Prescott Street, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - James T F Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Prescott Street, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; Wise Laboratory Field Research Program, 1320 19th Street, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | - Sandra S Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Prescott Street, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, Science Building, 96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Wise Laboratory Field Research Program, 1320 19th Street, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20036, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, Science Building, 96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Department of Applied Medical Science, University of Southern Maine, Science Building, 96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103, USA
| | - Christy Gianios
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Prescott Street, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; Wise Laboratory Field Research Program, 1320 19th Street, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | - John Buonagurio
- Exponent, Inc., 1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 500, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
| | - Christopher Perkins
- Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, 3107 Horsebarn Hill Road, U-4210, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Carolyne Falank
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Prescott Street, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Tongzhang Zheng
- Yale School of Public Health, P.O. Box 208034, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Cairong Zhu
- Yale School of Public Health, P.O. Box 208034, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - John Pierce Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, 505 S. Prescott Street, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, Science Building, 96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Wise Laboratory Field Research Program, 1320 19th Street, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20036, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, Science Building, 96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Department of Applied Medical Science, University of Southern Maine, Science Building, 96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103, USA.
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Squadrone S, Chiaravalle E, Gavinelli S, Monaco G, Rizzi M, Abete MC. Analysis of mercury and methylmercury concentrations, and selenium:mercury molar ratios for a toxicological assessment of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the most recent stranding event along the Adriatic coast (Southern Italy, Mediterranean Sea). Chemosphere 2015; 138:633-641. [PMID: 26233668 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.07.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Revised: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/19/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Mass stranding of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) is a rare event in the Mediterranean Sea. In September 2014, a pod of seven sperm whales became stranded along the Adriatic coast of Southern Italy. This is the seventh occurrence of this type since 1555 in this sea basin. Total concentrations of mercury (T-Hg), methylmercury (MeHg) and selenium (Se) were measured from brain, muscle, liver and kidney of three female sperm whales, which died in this event. Analyses showed considerable, age-dependent variations in Hg and Se concentrations in the different organs. The contamination levels of T-Hg in the liver (up to 200 mg kg(-1)) and brain (up to 21 mg kg(-1)) samples were markedly higher than those in the kidney and muscle samples. The liver and brain also showed the highest Se levels. Se:Hg molar ratios ⩾1 were observed in all the organs of the three sperm whales, suggesting that Se could protect the animals from Hg toxicity. The risk of Hg-associated neurotoxicity was assessed by comparing our values to thresholds set for neurotoxicity in mammals, and the role of Se in the detoxification process of T-Hg/MeHg is discussed herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Squadrone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy.
| | - E Chiaravalle
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - S Gavinelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy
| | - G Monaco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy
| | - M Rizzi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy
| | - M C Abete
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy
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12
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Ruiz-Cooley RI, Koch PL, Fiedler PC, McCarthy MD. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes from top predator amino acids reveal rapidly shifting ocean biochemistry in the outer California Current. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110355. [PMID: 25329915 PMCID: PMC4201512 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Climatic variation alters biochemical and ecological processes, but it is difficult both to quantify the magnitude of such changes, and to differentiate long-term shifts from inter-annual variability. Here, we simultaneously quantify decade-scale isotopic variability at the lowest and highest trophic positions in the offshore California Current System (CCS) by measuring δ15N and δ13C values of amino acids in a top predator, the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Using a time series of skin tissue samples as a biological archive, isotopic records from individual amino acids (AAs) can reveal the proximate factors driving a temporal decline we observed in bulk isotope values (a decline of ≥1 ‰) by decoupling changes in primary producer isotope values from those linked to the trophic position of this toothed whale. A continuous decline in baseline (i.e., primary producer) δ15N and δ13C values was observed from 1993 to 2005 (a decrease of ∼4‰ for δ15N source-AAs and 3‰ for δ13C essential-AAs), while the trophic position of whales was variable over time and it did not exhibit directional trends. The baseline δ15N and δ13C shifts suggest rapid ongoing changes in the carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycling in the offshore CCS, potentially occurring at faster rates than long-term shifts observed elsewhere in the Pacific. While the mechanisms forcing these biogeochemical shifts remain to be determined, our data suggest possible links to natural climate variability, and also corresponding shifts in surface nutrient availability. Our study demonstrates that isotopic analysis of individual amino acids from a top marine mammal predator can be a powerful new approach to reconstructing temporal variation in both biochemical cycling and trophic structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocio I. Ruiz-Cooley
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Paul L. Koch
- Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Paul C. Fiedler
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Matthew D. McCarthy
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
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Savery LC, Wise JTF, Wise SS, Falank C, Gianios C, Thompson WD, Perkins C, Zheng T, Zhu C, Wise JP. Global assessment of arsenic pollution using sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) as an emerging aquatic model organism. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2014; 163:55-63. [PMID: 24473067 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2014.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2013] [Revised: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic is an oceanic pollutant of global concern due to its toxicity, ability to bioaccumulate and continued input into the environment by anthropogenic activities. The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is an emerging aquatic model for both human disease and ocean health having global distribution and high trophic level. The aim of this study was to establish global and regional baselines of total arsenic concentrations using free-ranging sperm whales. Skin biopsies (n=342) were collected during the voyage of the Odyssey (2000-2005) from 17 regions considering gender and age in males. Arsenic was detectable in 99% of samples with a global mean of 1.9μg/g ww ranging from 0.1 to 15.6μg/g ww. Previous work in toothed whale skin found mean concentrations 3 fold lower with 0.6μg/g ww. A significant gender-related effect was found with males having higher mean arsenic concentrations than females. There was no significant age-related effect between adult and subadult males. Arsenic concentrations in sloughed skin samples were similar to levels in skin biopsies indicating that arsenic excretion can occur by skin sloughing. Regional mean concentrations were highest in the Maldives, Seychelles and Sri Lanka with 3.5, 2.5, and 2.4μg/g ww, respectively, raising concern for arsenic pollution in the Indian Ocean. Literature suggests that arsenic exposure is emitted from natural sources and the heavy use of arsenic-containing pesticides and herbicides in this region. These data suggest that research is needed in determining the extent and source of arsenic pollution in the Indian Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Savery
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 178 Science Building, Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - James T F Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - Sandra S Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 178 Science Building, Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - Carolyne Falank
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 178 Science Building, Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - Christy Gianios
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 178 Science Building, Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - W Douglas Thompson
- Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 178 Science Building, Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - Christopher Perkins
- Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, 3107 Horsebarn Hill Road; U-4210, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Tongzhang Zheng
- Yale School of Public Health, P.O. Box 208034, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Cairong Zhu
- Yale School of Public Health, P.O. Box 208034, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - John Pierce Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 178 Science Building, Portland, ME 04104, USA.
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14
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Savery LC, Wise SS, Falank C, Wise J, Gianios C, Douglas Thompson W, Perkins C, Zheng T, Zhu C, Wise JP. Global assessment of oceanic lead pollution using sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) as an indicator species. Mar Pollut Bull 2014; 79:236-244. [PMID: 24361115 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2013] [Revised: 11/20/2013] [Accepted: 12/02/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) is an oceanic pollutant of global concern. Anthropogenic activities are increasing oceanic levels, but to an unknown extent. The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) has a global distribution and high trophic level. The aim of this study was to establish a global baseline of oceanic Pb concentrations using free-ranging sperm whales as an indicator species. Skin biopsies (n=337) were collected during the voyage of the Odyssey (2000-2005) from 17 regions considering gender and age. Pb was detectable in 315 samples with a global mean of 1.6 ug/gww ranging from 0.1 to 129.6 ug/gww. Papua New Guinea, Bahamas and Australia had the highest regional mean with 6.1, 3.4, and 3.1 ug/gww, respectively. Pb concentrations were not significantly different between sex and age in males. This is the first global toxicological dataset for Pb in a marine mammal and confirms Pb is widely distributed with hotspots in some regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Savery
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 178 Science Building, Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - Sandra S Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 178 Science Building, Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - Carolyne Falank
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 178 Science Building, Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - James Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - Christy Gianios
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - W Douglas Thompson
- Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 178 Science Building, Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - Christopher Perkins
- Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, 3107 Horsebarn Hill Road, U-4210, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Tongzhang Zheng
- Yale School of Public Health, P.O. Box 208034, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Cairong Zhu
- Yale School of Public Health, P.O. Box 208034, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - John Pierce Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA; Department of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Southern Maine, 178 Science Building, Portland, ME 04104, USA.
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15
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Pabuwal V, Boswell M, Pasquali A, Wise SS, Kumar S, Shen Y, Garcia T, LaCerte C, Wise JP, Wise JP, Warren W, Walter RB. Transcriptomic analysis of cultured whale skin cells exposed to hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)]. Aquat Toxicol 2013; 134-135:74-81. [PMID: 23584427 PMCID: PMC3739694 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2013.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Revised: 03/10/2013] [Accepted: 03/12/2013] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) is known to produce cytotoxic effects in humans and is a highly toxic environmental contaminant. Interestingly, it has been shown that free ranging sperm whales (Phyester macrocephalus) may have exceedingly high levels of Cr in their skin. Also, it has been demonstrated that skin cells from whales appear more resistant to both cytotoxicity and clastogenicity upon Cr exposure compared to human cells. However, the molecular genetic mechanisms employed in whale skin cells that might lead to Cr tolerance are unknown. In an effort to understand the underlying mechanisms of Cr(VI) tolerance and to illuminate global gene expression patterns modulated by Cr, we exposed whale skin cells in culture to varying levels of Cr(VI) (i.e., 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 5.0 μg/cm²) followed by short read (100 bp) next generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). RNA-seq reads from all exposures (≈280 million reads) were pooled to generate a de novo reference transcriptome assembly. The resulting whale reference assembly had 11K contigs and an N50 of 2954 bp. Using the reads from each dose (0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 5.0 μg/cm²) we performed RNA-seq based gene expression analysis that identified 35 up-regulated genes and 19 down-regulated genes. The experimental results suggest that low dose exposure to Cr (1.0 μg/cm²) serves to induce up-regulation of oxidative stress response genes, DNA repair genes and cell cycle regulator genes. However, at higher doses (5.0 μg/cm²) the DNA repair genes appeared down-regulated while other genes that were induced suggest the initiation of cytotoxicity. The set of genes identified that show regulatory modulation at different Cr doses provide specific candidates for further studies aimed at determination of how whales exhibit resistance to Cr toxicity and what role(s) reactive oxygen species (ROS) may play in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vagmita Pabuwal
- Molecular Bioscences Research Group, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 419 Centennial Hall, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos TX, 78666, USA
| | - Mikki Boswell
- Molecular Bioscences Research Group, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 419 Centennial Hall, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos TX, 78666, USA
| | - Amanda Pasquali
- Molecular Bioscences Research Group, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 419 Centennial Hall, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos TX, 78666, USA
| | - Sandra S. Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, 96 Falmouth St. Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Molecular Bioscences Research Group, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 419 Centennial Hall, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos TX, 78666, USA
| | - Yingjia Shen
- Molecular Bioscences Research Group, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 419 Centennial Hall, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos TX, 78666, USA
| | - Tzintzuni Garcia
- Molecular Bioscences Research Group, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 419 Centennial Hall, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos TX, 78666, USA
| | - Carolyne LaCerte
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, 96 Falmouth St. Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - John Pierce Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, 96 Falmouth St. Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - John Pierce Wise
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, 96 Falmouth St. Portland, ME 04104, USA
| | - Wesley Warren
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Blvd., St Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Ronald B. Walter
- Molecular Bioscences Research Group, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 419 Centennial Hall, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos TX, 78666, USA
- Corresponding author at: Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry - 419 CEN, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA., Tel.: +1 512 245 0357; Fax: +512 245 1922., (R.B. Walter)
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16
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Savery LC, Evers DC, Wise SS, Falank C, Wise J, Gianios C, Kerr I, Payne R, Thompson WD, Perkins C, Zheng T, Zhu C, Benedict L, Wise JP. Global mercury and selenium concentrations in skin from free-ranging sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). Sci Total Environ 2013; 450-451:59-71. [PMID: 23467177 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.01.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2012] [Revised: 01/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Pollution of the ocean by mercury (Hg) is a global concern. Hg persists, bioaccumulates and is toxic putting high trophic consumers at risk. The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), is a sentinel of ocean health due to its wide distribution, longevity and high trophic level. Our aim was to survey Hg concentrations worldwide in the skin of free-ranging sperm whales considering region, gender and age. Samples were collected from 343 whales in 17 regions during the voyage of the research vessel, Odyssey, between 1999 and 2005. Skin was analyzed for total Hg and detected in all but three samples with a global mean of 2.5±0.1 μg g(-1) ranging from 0.1 to 16.0 μg g(-1). The Mediterranean Sea had the highest regional mean with 6.1 μg g(-1) followed by Australia with 3.5 μg g(-1). Considering gender, females and males did not have significantly different global Hg concentrations. The variation among regions for females was significantly different with highest levels in the Mediterranean and lowest in Sri Lanka; however, males were not significantly different among regions. Considering age in males, adults and subadults did not have significantly different Hg concentrations, and were not significantly different among regions. The toxic effects of these Hg concentrations are uncertain. Selenium (Se), an essential element, antagonizes Hg at equimolar amounts. We measured total Se concentrations and found detectable levels in all samples with a global mean of 33.1±1.1 μg g(-1) ranging from 2.5 to 179 μg g(-1). Se concentrations were found to be several fold higher than Hg concentrations with the average Se:Hg molar ratio being 59:1 and no correlation between the two elements. It is possible Hg is being detoxified in the skin by another mechanism. These data provide the first global analysis of Hg and Se concentrations in a free-ranging cetacean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Savery
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA
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de Stephanis R, Giménez J, Carpinelli E, Gutierrez-Exposito C, Cañadas A. As main meal for sperm whales: plastics debris. Mar Pollut Bull 2013; 69:206-214. [PMID: 23465618 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Revised: 01/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Marine debris has been found in marine animals since the early 20th century, but little is known about the impacts of the ingestion of debris in large marine mammals. In this study we describe a case of mortality of a sperm whale related to the ingestion of large amounts of marine debris in the Mediterranean Sea (4th published case worldwide to our knowledge), and discuss it within the context of the spatial distribution of the species and the presence of anthropogenic activities in the area that could be the source of the plastic debris found inside the sperm whale. The spatial distribution modelled for the species in the region shows that these animals can be seen in two distinct areas: near the waters of Almería, Granada and Murcia and in waters near the Strait of Gibraltar. The results shows how these animals feed in waters near an area completely flooded by the greenhouse industry, making them vulnerable to its waste products if adequate treatment of this industry's debris is not in place. Most types of these plastic materials have been found in the individual examined and cause of death was presumed to be gastric rupture following impaction with debris, which added to a previous problem of starvation. The problem of plastics arising from greenhouse agriculture should have a relevant section in the conservation plans and should be a recommendation from ACCOBAMS due to these plastics' and sperm whales' high mobility in the Mediterranean Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renaud de Stephanis
- GEMA, Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Americo Vespuccio S/N, Isla Cartuja, 41013 Sevilla, Spain.
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Huang X, Wang C, Celeste LR, Lovelace LL, Sun S, Dawson JH, Lebioda L. Complex of myoglobin with phenol bound in a proximal cavity. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 2012; 68:1465-71. [PMID: 23192025 PMCID: PMC3509966 DOI: 10.1107/s1744309112045514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2012] [Accepted: 11/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Sperm whale myoglobin (Mb) has weak dehaloperoxidase activity and catalyzes the peroxidative dehalogenation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) to 2,6-dichloroquinone. Crystals of Mb and of its more active G65T variant were used to study the binding of TCP, 4-iodophenol (4-IP) and phenol. The structures of crystals soaked overnight in a 10 mM solution of phenol revealed that a phenol molecule binds in the proximal cavity, forming a hydrogen bond to the hydroxyl of Tyr146 and hydrophobic contacts which include interactions with Cβ and Cγ of the proximal histidine His93. The phenol position corresponds to the strongest xenon binding site, Xe1. It appears that the ligand enters the proximal cavity through a gate formed by the flexible loops 79-86 and 93-103. TCP and 4-IP do not bind to Mb in this manner under similar conditions; however, it appears to be likely that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which was used at a concentration of 0.8 M to facilitate 4-IP dissolution, binds in the phenol/Xe1 binding site. In this structure, a water molecule coordinated to the heme iron was replaced by an oxygen molecule, reflecting the reduction of the heme. Crystals of Mb and G65T Mb soaked for 5-10 min did not show bound phenol. Kinetic studies of TCP dechlorination showed that phenol has a dual effect: it acts as a competitive inhibitor that is likely to interfere with TCP binding at the heme edge and as a weak activator, likely through binding in the proximal cavity. The lack of phenol bound at the heme edge in the crystal structures suggests that its inhibitory binding only takes place when the heme is activated by hydrogen peroxide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Huang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 20208, USA
| | - Chunxue Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 20208, USA
| | - Lesa R. Celeste
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 20208, USA
| | - Leslie L. Lovelace
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 20208, USA
| | - Shenfang Sun
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 20208, USA
| | - John H. Dawson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 20208, USA
- School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 20208, USA
| | - Lukasz Lebioda
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 20208, USA
- South Carolina Colon Cancer Center, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
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Armstrong BD, Choi J, López C, Wesener DA, Hubbell W, Cavagnero S, Han S. Site-specific hydration dynamics in the nonpolar core of a molten globule by dynamic nuclear polarization of water. J Am Chem Soc 2011; 133:5987-95. [PMID: 21443207 PMCID: PMC3095581 DOI: 10.1021/ja111515s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Water-protein interactions play a direct role in protein folding. The chain collapse that accompanies protein folding involves extrusion of water from the nonpolar core. For many proteins, including apomyoglobin (apoMb), hydrophobic interactions drive an initial collapse to an intermediate state before folding to the final structure. However, the debate continues as to whether the core of the collapsed intermediate state is hydrated and, if so, what the dynamic nature of this water is. A key challenge is that protein hydration dynamics is significantly heterogeneous, yet suitable experimental techniques for measuring hydration dynamics with site-specificity are lacking. Here, we introduce Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization at 0.35 T via site-specific nitroxide spin labels as a unique tool to probe internal and surface protein hydration dynamics with site-specific resolution in the molten globular, native, and unfolded protein states. The (1)H NMR signal enhancement of water carries information about the local dynamics of the solvent within ∼10 Å of a spin label. EPR is used synergistically to gain insights on local polarity and mobility of the spin-labeled protein. Several buried and solvent-exposed sites of apoMb are examined, each bearing a covalently bound nitroxide spin label. We find that the nonpoloar core of the apoMb molten globule is hydrated with water bearing significant translational dynamics, only 4-6-fold slower than that of bulk water. The hydration dynamics of the native state is heterogeneous, while the acid-unfolded state bears fast-diffusing hydration water. This study provides a high-resolution glimpse at the folding-dependent nature of protein hydration dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon D. Armstrong
- Department of Physics, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA. 93106-9530
| | - Jennifer Choi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI. 53706
| | - Carlos López
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, CA. 90095-7008
| | - Darryl A. Wesener
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI. 53706
| | - Wayne Hubbell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, CA. 90095-7008
| | - Silvia Cavagnero
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI. 53706
| | - Songi Han
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Materials Research Laboratory, University of California-Santa Barbara, 93106-9510
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Spivey A. A whale tale: using blubber biopsies to characterize Pacific Ocean pollutant trends. Environ Health Perspect 2011; 119:a133. [PMID: 21356625 PMCID: PMC3060021 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.119-a133b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
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Godard-Codding CAJ, Clark R, Fossi MC, Marsili L, Maltese S, West AG, Valenzuela L, Rowntree V, Polyak I, Cannon JC, Pinkerton K, Rubio-Cisneros N, Mesnick SL, Cox SB, Kerr I, Payne R, Stegeman JJ. Pacific Ocean-wide profile of CYP1A1 expression, stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios, and organic contaminant burden in sperm whale skin biopsies. Environ Health Perspect 2011; 119:337-343. [PMID: 21134820 PMCID: PMC3059996 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.0901809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2009] [Accepted: 11/09/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ocean pollution affects marine organisms and ecosystems as well as humans. The International Oceanographic Commission recommends ocean health monitoring programs to investigate the presence of marine contaminants and the health of threatened species and the use of multiple and early-warning biomarker approaches. OBJECTIVE We explored the hypothesis that biomarker and contaminant analyses in skin biopsies of the threatened sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) could reveal geographical trends in exposure on an oceanwide scale. METHODS We analyzed cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) expression (by immunohistochemistry), stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios (as general indicators of trophic position and latitude, respectively), and contaminant burdens in skin biopsies to explore regional trends in the Pacific Ocean. RESULTS Biomarker analyses revealed significant regional differences within the Pacific Ocean. CYP1A1 expression was highest in whales from the Galapagos, a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization World Heritage marine reserve, and was lowest in the sampling sites farthest away from continents. We examined the possible influence of the whales' sex, diet, or range and other parameters on regional variation in CYP1A1 expression, but data were inconclusive. In general, CYP1A1 expression was not significantly correlated with contaminant burdens in blubber. However, small sample sizes precluded detailed chemical analyses, and power to detect significant associations was limited. CONCLUSIONS Our large-scale monitoring study was successful at identifying regional differences in CYP1A1 expression, providing a baseline for this known biomarker of exposure to aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists. However, we could not identify factors that explained this variation. Future oceanwide CYP1A1 expression profiles in cetacean skin biopsies are warranted and could reveal whether globally distributed chemicals occur at biochemically relevant concentrations on a global basis, which may provide a measure of ocean integrity.
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Ascenzi P, Petrella G, Coletta M. Ferricyanide-mediated oxidation of ferrous nitrosylated sperm whale myoglobin involves the formation of the ferric nitrosylated intermediate. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2007; 359:871-6. [PMID: 17562327 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.05.196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2007] [Accepted: 05/25/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Ferricyanide-mediated oxidation of ferrous oxygenated and carbonylated myoglobin (Mb(II)-O(2) and Mb(II)-CO, respectively) is limited by O(2) and CO dissociation, respectively, then the transient deoxygenated derivative (Mb(II)) is rapidly oxidized. Here, kinetics of ferricyanide-mediated oxidation of ferrous nitrosylated sperm whale myoblobin (Mb(II)-NO) is reported. Unlike for Mb(II)-O(2) and Mb(II)-CO, ferricyanide reacts with Mb(II)-NO forming first a transient ferric nitrosylated species (Mb(III)-NO), followed by the ()NO dissociation from Mb(III)-NO. Values of the second-order rate constant for ferricyanide-mediated oxidation of Mb(II)-NO (i.e., for the formation of the transient Mb(III)-NO species) and of the first-order rate constant for ()NO dissociation from Mb(III)-NO (i.e., for Mb(III) formation) are (1.3+/-0.2)x10(6)M(-1)s(-1) and 7.6+/-1.3s(-1), respectively, at pH 8.3 and 20.0 degrees C. Since ()NO dissociation from Mb(II)-NO is very slow, and (unlike O(2) and CO) ()NO is a ligand for both Mb(II) and Mb(III), Mb(II)-NO can be oxidized without requiring ()NO dissociation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Ascenzi
- Department of Biology and Interdepartmental Laboratory for Electron Microscopy, University Roma Tre, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446, I-00146 Roma, Italy.
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Abstract
In this article we use the perturbed matrix method and an extended molecular dynamics sampling of the carbon monoxide (CO) in the myoglobin distal pocket to characterize the CO vibrational spectrum and hence to relate its spectroscopic features with the atomic-molecular behavior. Results show the accuracy of the method employed and confirm the assignment of the spectroscopic B1 and B2 states proposed by Lim et al.
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Aranda R, Levin EJ, Schotte F, Anfinrud PA, Phillips GN. Time-dependent atomic coordinates for the dissociation of carbon monoxide from myoglobin. Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr 2006; 62:776-83. [PMID: 16790933 DOI: 10.1107/s0907444906017318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2006] [Accepted: 05/10/2006] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Picosecond time-resolved crystallography was used to follow the dissociation of carbon monoxide from the heme pocket of a mutant sperm whale myoglobin and the resultant conformational changes. Electron-density maps have previously been created at various time points and used to describe amino-acid side-chain and carbon monoxide movements. In this work, difference refinement was employed to generate atomic coordinates at each time point in order to create a more explicit quantitative representation of the photo-dissociation process. After photolysis the carbon monoxide moves to a docking site, causing rearrangements in the heme-pocket residues, the coordinate changes of which can be plotted as a function of time. These include rotations of the heme-pocket phenylalanine concomitant with movement of the distal histidine toward the solvent, potentially allowing carbon monoxide movement in and out of the protein and proximal displacement of the heme iron. The degree of relaxation toward the intermediate and deoxy states was probed by analysis of the coordinate movements in the time-resolved models, revealing a non-linear progression toward the unbound state with coordinate movements that begin in the heme-pocket area and then propagate throughout the rest of the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Aranda
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
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Abstract
Hydrophobic core mutants of sperm whale apomyoglobin were constructed to investigate the amino acid sequence features that determine the folding properties. Replacements of all of the Ile residues with Leu and of all of the Ile and Val residues with Leu decreased the thermodynamic stability of the folded states against the unfolded states but increased the stability of the folding intermediates against the unfolded states, indicating that the amino acid composition of the protein core is important for the protein stability and folding cooperativity. To examine the effect of the arrangement of these hydrophobic residues, mutant proteins were further constructed: 12 sites out of the 18 Leu, 9 Ile, and 8 Val residues of the wild-type myoglobin were randomly replaced with each other so that the amino acid compositions were similar to that of the wild-type protein. Four mutant proteins were obtained without selection of the protein properties. These residue replacements similarly resulted in the stabilization of both the intermediate and folded states against the unfolded states, as compared to the wild-type protein. Thus, the arrangements of the hydrophobic residues in the native amino acid sequence are selected to destabilize the folding intermediate rather than to stabilize the folded state. The present results suggest that the two-state transition of protein folding or the transient formation of the unstable intermediate, which seems to be required for effective production of the functional proteins, has been a major driving force in the molecular evolution of natural globular proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Isogai
- Biometal Science Laboratory, RIKEN Harima Institute, Mikazuki, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan.
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26
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McCarthy AN, Grigera JR. Pressure denaturation of apomyoglobin: A molecular dynamics simulation study. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Proteins and Proteomics 2006; 1764:506-15. [PMID: 16504610 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2005.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2005] [Revised: 11/18/2005] [Accepted: 11/28/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The effect of pressure on the structure and mobility of Sperm Wale Apomyoglobin was studied by Molecular Dynamics computer simulation at 1 bar and 3 kbar (1 atm=1.01325 bar=101.325 kPa). The results are in good agreement with the available experimental data, allowing further analysis of other features of the effect of pressure on the protein solution. From the analysis of Secondary Structures (SS) along the trajectories it is observed that alpha-helixes are favoured under pressure at the expense of bends, turns and 3-helixes. The studies of mobility show that although the general mobility is restricted under pressure this is not true for some particular residues. The studies of tertiary structure show important conformational changes. The evolution of the Solvent Accessed Surface (SAS) with pressure shows a notorious increase due almost completely to a biased raise in the hydrophobic area exposed, which consequently shows that the hydrophobic interaction is considerably weaker under high hydrostatic pressure conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés N McCarthy
- Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológicos, IFLYSIB, CONICET-UNLP-CIC, and Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata. 49-789, cc 565, B1900BTE La Plata, Argentina
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Gardner PR, Gardner AM, Brashear WT, Suzuki T, Hvitved AN, Setchell KDR, Olson JS. Hemoglobins dioxygenate nitric oxide with high fidelity. J Inorg Biochem 2006; 100:542-50. [PMID: 16439024 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2005.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2005] [Accepted: 11/26/2005] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Distantly related members of the hemoglobin (Hb) superfamily including red blood cell Hb, muscle myoglobin (Mb) and the microbial flavohemoglobin (flavoHb) dioxygenate nitric oxide (.NO). The reaction serves important roles in .NO metabolism and detoxification throughout the aerobic biosphere. Analysis of the stoichiometric product nitrate shows greater than 99% double O-atom incorporation from Hb(18)O(2), Mb(18)O(2) and flavoHb(18)O(2) demonstrating a conserved high fidelity .NO dioxygenation mechanism. Whereas, reactions of .NO with the structurally unrelated Turbo cornutus MbO(2) or free superoxide radical (-O.(2)) yield sub-stoichiometric nitrate showing low fidelity O-atom incorporation. These and other results support a .NO dioxygenation mechanism involving (1) rapid reaction of .NO with a Fe(III-)O.(2) intermediate to form Fe(III-)OONO and (2) rapid isomerization of the Fe(III-)OONO intermediate to form nitrate. A sub-microsecond isomerization event is hypothesized in which the O-O bond homolyzes to form a protein caged [Fe(IV)O .NO(2)] intermediate and ferryl oxygen attacks .NO(2) to form nitrate. Hb functions as a .NO dioxygenase by controlling O(2) binding and electrochemistry, guiding .NO diffusion and reaction, and shielding highly reactive intermediates from solvent water and biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul R Gardner
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC7006, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
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