PARENT SESSION
22 - Biochemical, Cellular and Molecular Background of Biomarkers
8:00 AM to 6:30 PM, Monday, 13 May 2002
Exhibition Area

(22-02) Application of cellular biomarkers in a monitoring programme along the Western Mediterranean sea.

Zorita, Izaskun¹, Apraiz, Itxaso¹, Barrouillet, Marie¹, Bilbao, Eider¹, Cancio, Ibon¹, Soto, Manu¹, Orbea, Amaia¹, Cajaraville, Miren^*,1, ¹ Dept. Zoology and Animal Cell Dynamics. Univ. Basque Country., Bilbo., Basque Country (Spain)

ABSTRACT- Cells provide a link between biochemical/molecular events and physiological or whole-animal events occurring within living organisms. The use of cellular approaches to measure exposure to pollutants and pollutant effects allows detection of cell-specific responses. In the framework of the EU-funded BEEP project a monitoring programme was performed along the Western Mediterranean sea using cellular biomarkers to assess the effects and/or exposure to pollutants. Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and red mullets (Mullus barbatus) were used as sentinels and sampled in May and September 2001 from expected pollution gradients in France (Aragnon, Lavera, Fos harbour, Cortiou and Gulf of Fos-sur-mer), Italy (Porto Fino, Voltri, Arenzano, inside and outside Genova harbour) and Spain (Cala Montjoy, Fangal, Los Alfaques, Barcelona, Ebro Delta and Bay of Roses). 56 mussels and 10-28 red mullets were sampled per station. Two well-established biomarkers were selected for the study, namely, metallothioneins (exposure biomarker for metals) and lysosomal responses (effect biomarker). Peroxisome proliferation was measured as a novel exposure biomarker for certain organic xenobiotics. Gender and gonad development stage was also determined histologically with the aim of assessing possible disturbances in reproduction. Preliminary results indicate that mussels from the harbour of Genova and from Barcelona, Fangal and Los Alfaques show signs of lysosomal enlargement indicating disturbed health. In red mullets, fish from all the stations show similar liver lysosomes except those from Cortiou with significantly smaller lysosomes. Peroxisome proliferation in terms of induction of peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidase activity appeared to occur in mussels from all stations in Italy when compared with the rest of sampling points. *Funded by projects AMB99-0324 and BEEP (EVK3-CT-2000-00025).

Key words: cellular biomarker, biomonitoring, Mediterranean sea