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Kershaw J, Ramp C, Sears R, Hall A, Derous D. Proteome profiling reveals opportunities to investigate biomarkers of oxidative stress and immune responses in blubber biopsies from free-ranging baleen whales. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coae059. [PMID: 39161698 PMCID: PMC11332026 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coae059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
Over 25% of cetacean species worldwide are listed as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Objective and widely applicable tools to assess cetacean health are therefore vital for population monitoring and to inform conservation initiatives. Novel blubber biomarkers of physiological state are examples of such tools that could be used to assess overall health. Proteins extracted from blubber likely originate from both the circulation and various cell types within the tissue itself, and their expression is responsive to signals originating from other organs and the nervous system. Blubber proteins can therefore capture information on physiological stressors experienced by individuals at the time of sampling. For the first time, we assess the feasibility of applying shotgun proteomics to blubber biopsy samples collected from free-ranging baleen whales. Samples were collected from minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) (n = 10) in the Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada. Total protein was extracted using a RIPA cell lysis and extraction buffer-based protocol. Extracted proteins were separated and identified using nanoflow Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization in tandem with Mass Spectrometry. We mapped proteins to known biological pathways and determined whether they were significantly enriched based on the proteome profile. A pathway enrichment map was created to visualize overlap in tissue-level biological processes. Amongst the most significantly enriched biological pathways were those involved in immune system function: inflammatory responses, leukocyte-mediated immunity and the humoral immune response. Pathways associated with responses to oxidative stress were also enriched. Using a suite of such protein biomarkers has the potential to better assess the overall health and physiological state of live individuals through remote biopsy sampling. This information is vital for population health assessments to predict population trajectories, and ultimately guide and monitor conservation priorities and initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kershaw
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 8LB
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- Mingan Island Cetacean Study, Saint Lambert, Québec, Canada
| | - Christian Ramp
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 8LB
- Mingan Island Cetacean Study, Saint Lambert, Québec, Canada
| | - Richard Sears
- Mingan Island Cetacean Study, Saint Lambert, Québec, Canada
| | - Ailsa Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 8LB
| | - Davina Derous
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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Silva D, Maricato G, Cezimbra T, Melo L, Maciel IS, Tardin R. Assessment of Body Condition in a Threatened Dolphin Population in an Anthropized Area in Southeastern Brazil. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1887. [PMID: 38997999 PMCID: PMC11240347 DOI: 10.3390/ani14131887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Sepetiba Bay, located in southwestern Rio de Janeiro state, in southeastern Brazil, is a region of extreme anthropogenic impact, and is home to a large population of Guiana dolphins, which face increasing and cumulative pressures on their physical health. Cetacean body condition provides a useful indicator for the evaluation of the conservation status of marine mammals. Given this, the present study quantified the proportion of dolphins with different body condition scores and assessed temporal variation in these scores between 2017 and 2022 through the analysis of photographic records. We analyzed the photographs and identified the individuals using FinFindR and classified each individual based on its apparent body condition. A total of 29,737 photographs were taken during the study, and 79 individuals were identified, of which 68.35% were in poor condition. The evidence suggests that the Guiana dolphins are in relatively poor condition overall, possibly reflecting the cumulative impact of human activities in Sepetiba Bay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyverson Silva
- Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Conservation (ECoMAR), Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (G.M.); (T.C.); (L.M.); (I.S.M.); (R.T.)
| | - Guilherme Maricato
- Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Conservation (ECoMAR), Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (G.M.); (T.C.); (L.M.); (I.S.M.); (R.T.)
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution (PPGEE), Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes (IBRAG), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro 20551-030, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Ecology (PPGE), Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-971, Brazil
| | - Tomaz Cezimbra
- Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Conservation (ECoMAR), Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (G.M.); (T.C.); (L.M.); (I.S.M.); (R.T.)
| | - Larissa Melo
- Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Conservation (ECoMAR), Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (G.M.); (T.C.); (L.M.); (I.S.M.); (R.T.)
| | - Israel S. Maciel
- Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Conservation (ECoMAR), Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (G.M.); (T.C.); (L.M.); (I.S.M.); (R.T.)
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution (PPGEE), Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes (IBRAG), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro 20551-030, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Tardin
- Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Conservation (ECoMAR), Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (G.M.); (T.C.); (L.M.); (I.S.M.); (R.T.)
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Monteiro JP, Ferreira HB, Melo T, Flanagan C, Urbani N, Neves J, Domingues P, Domingues MR. The plasma phospholipidome of the bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus) is modulated by both sex and developmental stage. Mol Omics 2023; 19:35-47. [PMID: 36314173 DOI: 10.1039/d2mo00202g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Lipidomics represent a valid complementary tool to the biochemical analysis of plasma in humans. However, in cetaceans, these tools have been unexplored. Here, we evaluated how the plasma lipid composition of Tursiops truncatus is modulated by developmental stage and sex, aiming at a potential use of lipidomics in integrated strategies to monitor cetacean health. We characterized the fatty acid profile and detected a total of 26 fatty acids in T. truncatus plasma. The most abundant fatty acids were palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0) and oleic acid (C18:1n-9). Interestingly, there are consistent differences between the fatty acid profile of mature female and mature male specimens. Phospholipidome analysis identified 320 different lipid species belonging to phosphatidylcholine (PC, 105 lipid species), lysophosphatidylcholine (42), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE, 67), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (18), phosphatidylglycerol (14), lysophosphatidylglycerol (8), phosphatidylinositol (14), lysophosphatidylinositol (2), phosphatidylserine (3), sphingomyelin (45) and ceramides (2) classes. The statistical analysis of the phospholipidome showed that its composition allows discriminating mature animals between sexes and mature males from immature males. Notably, discrimination between sexes is mainly determined by the contents of PE plasmalogens and lysophospholipids (LPC and LPE), while the differences between mature and immature male animals were mainly determined by the levels of PC lipids. This is the first time that a correlation between developmental stage and sex and the lipid composition of the plasma has been established in cetaceans. Being able to discern between age and sex-related changes is an encouraging step towards using these tools to also detect differences related to disease/dysfunction processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- João P Monteiro
- Mass Spectrometry Centre, LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal. .,CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Helena B Ferreira
- Mass Spectrometry Centre, LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal. .,CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Tânia Melo
- Mass Spectrometry Centre, LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal. .,CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | | | | | - Pedro Domingues
- Mass Spectrometry Centre, LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal. .,CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - M Rosário Domingues
- Mass Spectrometry Centre, LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal. .,CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
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Lippold A, Harju M, Aars J, Blévin P, Bytingsvik J, Gabrielsen GW, Kovacs KM, Lyche JL, Lydersen C, Rikardsen AH, Routti H. Occurrence of emerging brominated flame retardants and organophosphate esters in marine wildlife from the Norwegian Arctic. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 315:120395. [PMID: 36228858 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
To understand the exposure and potential sources of emerging brominated flame retardants (EBFR) and organophosphate esters (OPEs) in marine wildlife from the Norwegian Arctic, we investigated concentrations of EBFRs in 157 tissue samples from nine species of marine vertebrates and OPEs in 34 samples from three whale species. The samples, collected from a wide range of species with contrasting areal use and diets, included blubber of blue whales, fin whales, humpback whales, white whales, killer whales, walruses and ringed seals and adipose tissue and plasma from polar bears, as well as adipose tissue from glaucous gulls. Tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP) and tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP) ranged from <0.61 to 164 and < 0.8-41 ng/g lipid weight, respectively, in blue whales and fin whales. All other EBRFs and OPEs were below the detection limit or detected only at low concentration. In addition to the baseline information on the occurrence of EBFRs and OPEs in marine wildlife from the Arctic, we provide an in-depth discussion regarding potential sources of the detected compounds. This information is important for future monitoring and management of EBFRs and OPEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lippold
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø 9296, Norway
| | - Mikael Harju
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Fram Centre, Tromsø 9296, Norway
| | - Jon Aars
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø 9296, Norway
| | | | | | | | - Kit M Kovacs
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø 9296, Norway
| | | | | | | | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø 9296, Norway.
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Kebke A, Samarra F, Derous D. Climate change and cetacean health: impacts and future directions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210249. [PMID: 35574848 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change directly impacts the foraging opportunities of cetaceans (e.g. lower prey availability), leads to habitat loss, and forces cetaceans to move to other feeding grounds. The rise in ocean temperature, low prey availability and loss of habitat can have severe consequences for cetacean survival, particularly those species that are already threatened or those with a limited habitat range. In addition, it is predicted that the concentration of contaminants in aquatic environments will increase owing to Arctic meltwater and increased rainfall events leading to higher rates of land-based runoff in downstream coastal areas. These persistent and mobile contaminants can bioaccumulate in the ecosystem, and lead to ecotoxicity with potentially severe consequences on the reproductive organs, immune system and metabolism of marine mammals. There is a need to measure and assess the cumulative impact of multiple stressors, given that climate change, habitat alteration, low prey availability and contaminants do not act in isolation. Human-caused perturbations to cetacean foraging abilities are becoming a pervasive and prevalent threat to many cetacean species on top of climate change-associated stressors. We need to move to a greater understanding of how multiple stressors impact the metabolism of cetaceans and ultimately their population trajectory. This article is part of the theme issue 'Nurturing resilient marine ecosystems'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kebke
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Filipa Samarra
- University of Iceland's Institute of Research Centres, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
| | - Davina Derous
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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Ruiz-Hernández IM, Nouri MZ, Kozuch M, Denslow ND, Díaz-Gamboa RE, Rodríguez-Canul R, Collí-Dulá RC. Trace element and lipidomic analysis of bottlenose dolphin blubber from the Yucatan coast: Lipid composition relationships. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 299:134353. [PMID: 35314180 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are found in coastal and estuarine ecosystems where they are in continuous contact with multiple abiotic and biotic stressors in the environment. Due to their role as predators, they can bioaccumulate contaminants and are considered sentinel organisms for monitoring the health of coastal marine ecosystems. The northern zonal coast of the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico has a high incidence of anthropogenic activities. The principal objectives of this study were two-fold: 1) to determine the presence of trace metals and their correlation with lipids in bottlenose dolphin blubber, and 2) to use a lipidomics approach to characterize their biological responses. Levels of trace elements (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Pb) were analyzed using ICP-MS and lipids were measured using a targeted lipidomics approach with LC-MS/MS. Spearman correlation analysis was used to identify associations between lipids and trace elements. The influences of gender, stranding codes, presence of stomach content, growth stages and body length were also analyzed. Blubber lipid composition was dominated by triacylglycerols (TAG). Our results demonstrated the presence of heavy-metal elements such as Cd and As, which were correlated with different lipid species, mainly the ceramides and glycerophospholipids, respectively. Organisms with Cd showed lower concentrations of ceramides (CER, HCER and DCER), TAG and cholesteryl esters (CE). Trace elements Cr, Co, As and Cd increased proportionately with body length. This study provides a novel insight of lipidomic characterization and correlations with trace elements in the bottlenose dolphin which might contribute to having a better understanding of the physiological functions and the risks that anthropogenic activities can bring to sentinel organisms from coastal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ixchel M Ruiz-Hernández
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Mérida. Antigua Carretera a Progreso km 6. Cordemex, Mérida, Yucatán, 97310, Mexico.
| | - Mohammad-Zaman Nouri
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology. University of Florida. PO Box 110885. 2187 Mowry Road. Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Marianne Kozuch
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology. University of Florida. PO Box 110885. 2187 Mowry Road. Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Nancy D Denslow
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology. University of Florida. PO Box 110885. 2187 Mowry Road. Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Raúl E Díaz-Gamboa
- Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Departamento de Biología Marina, Mérida, Yucatán, 97000, Mexico.
| | - Rossanna Rodríguez-Canul
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Mérida. Antigua Carretera a Progreso km 6. Cordemex, Mérida, Yucatán, 97310, Mexico.
| | - Reyna C Collí-Dulá
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Mérida. Antigua Carretera a Progreso km 6. Cordemex, Mérida, Yucatán, 97310, Mexico; CONACYT, CONACYT, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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Rey F, Melo T, Lopes D, Couto D, Marques F, Domingues MDRM. Applications of lipidomics in marine organisms: Progresses, challenges and future perspectives. Mol Omics 2022; 18:357-386. [DOI: 10.1039/d2mo00012a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Marine ecosystems comprise a high diversity of life forms, such as algae, invertebrates, and vertebrates. These organisms have adapted their physiology according to the conditions of the environments in which...
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