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Vieira JCS, Braga CP, Queiroz JVD, Cavecci-Mendonça B, Oliveira GD, Freitas NGD, Fernandes AAH, Fernandes MDS, Buzalaf MAR, Adamec J, Zara LF, Padilha PDM. The effects of mercury exposure on Amazonian fishes: An investigation of potential biomarkers. Chemosphere 2023; 316:137779. [PMID: 36632955 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to mercury can interfere with the expression of proteins and enzymes, compromise important pathways, such as apoptosis and glucose metabolism, and even induce the expression of metallothioneins. In this study, analytical techniques were used to determine the concentration of total mercury (THg) in muscle and liver tissue, protein pellets, and spots [using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS)], and molecular techniques were used to identify metalloproteins present in mercury-associated protein spots. Thirty individuals from three different fish species, Cichla sp. (n = 10), Brachyplatystoma filamentosum (n = 10), and Semaprochilodus sp. (n = 10) from the Brazilian Amazon were used. Oxidative stress indicators [such as glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), a marker of lipid peroxidation (LPO)] and the possible expression of metallothioneins in muscle and liver tissues were investigated. The two piscivorous species, Cichla sp. and B. filamentosum, presented the highest concentrations of mercury in their hepatic tissue, 1219 ± 15.00 and 1044 ± 13.6 μg kg-1, respectively, and in their muscle tissue, 101 ± 1.30 μg kg-1 and 87.4 ± 0.900 μg kg-1, respectively. The non-carnivorous species Semaprochilodus sp. had comparatively low concentrations of mercury in both its hepatic (852 ± 11.1 μg kg-1) and muscle (71.4 ± 0.930 μg kg-1) tissues. The presence of mercury was identified in 24 protein spots using GFAAS; concentrations ranged from 11.5 to 787 μg kg-1, and mass spectrometry identified 21 metal-binding proteins. The activities of GSH-Px, CAT, and SOD, related to oxidative stress, decreased proportionally as tissue Hg concentrations increased, while the levels of LPO markers increased, indicating the presence of stress. Our study results demonstrate possible mercury interference in oxidative stress markers (GSH-Px, CAT, SOD, and LPO), in addition to the identification of 21 metal-binding proteins as possible biomarkers of mercury exposure in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - João Vitor de Queiroz
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Bruna Cavecci-Mendonça
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Grasieli de Oliveira
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Jiri Adamec
- University of Nebraska (UNL), Lincoln, United States
| | - Luiz Fabrício Zara
- University of Brasília (UNB), College of Planaltina, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Pedro de Magalhães Padilha
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil; São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
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Chen J, Wang R, Ma M, Gao L, Zhao B, Xu M. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)-based strategies applied for the analysis of metal-binding protein in biological samples: an update on recent advances. Anal Bioanal Chem 2022; 414:7023-7033. [PMID: 35790569 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04185-2] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
New analytical strategies for metal-binding protein facilitate researchers learning about how metals play a significant role in life. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) offers many advantages for the metal analysis of biological samples and shows a promising future in protein analysis, but recent advances in LA-ICP-MS-based strategies for identifying metal-binding proteins via endogenous metals remain less updated yet. To present the current status in this field, the main analytical strategies for metal-binding proteins with LA-ICP-MS are reviewed here, including in situ analysis of biospecimens and ex situ analysis with gel electrophoresis. A critical discussion of challenges and future perspectives is also given. Multifarious laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)-based strategies have been developed and applied to investigate the metal-binding proteins in biospecimens in situ or through gel electrophoresis ex situ over the past decades, facilitating researchers disclosing how essential metals are implicated in life or what proteins toxic metals will target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahao Chen
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ruixia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Minghao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lirong Gao
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.,State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bin Zhao
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.,State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ming Xu
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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3
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Vieira JCS, de Oliveira G, Cavallini NG, Braga CP, Adamec J, Zara LF, Buzalaf MAR, de Magalhães Padilha P. Investigation of Protein Biomarkers and Oxidative Stress in Pinirampus pirinampu Exposed to Mercury Species from the Madeira River, Amazon-Brazil. Biol Trace Elem Res 2022; 200:1872-1882. [PMID: 34482504 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-021-02805-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In recent decades, the scientific community has widely debated the contamination of fish in the Amazon region by mercury species. As the diet of riverside populations in the Amazon region is based mainly on fish, these populations are exposed to mercurial species that can cause serious and irreversible damage to their health. The risks of consuming fish exposed to mercurial species in the Amazon region have motivated toxicological investigations. However, the effect of mercurial species on protein and enzyme levels is still controversial. In this work, analytical and bioanalytical techniques Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis [2D-PAGE] Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry [GFAAS], and Mass Spectrometry in Sequence with Electrospray Ionization [ESI-MS/MS] were used to identify proteins associated with mercury (metal-binding protein) in muscle and liver tissues of the fish species Pinirampus pirinampu from the Madeira River, in the Brazilian Amazon. Enzymatic and lipid peroxidation analyses were also used to assess changes related to oxidative stress. Determinations of total mercury by GFAAS indicated higher concentrations in liver tissue (555 ± 19.0 µg kg-1) when compared to muscle tissue (60 ± 2.0 µg kg-1). The fractionation process of tissue proteomes by 2D-PAGE and subsequent mapping of mercury by GFAAS in the protein spots of the gels identified the presence of mercury in three spots of the liver tissue (concentrations in the range of 0.800 to 1.90 mg kg-1). The characterization of protein spots associated with mercury by ESI-MS/MS identified the enzymes triosephosphate isomerase A, adenylate kinase 2 mitochondrial, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase as possible candidates for mercury exposure biomarkers. The muscle tissue did not show protein spots associated with mercury. Enzymatic activity decreased proportionally to the increase in mercury concentrations in the tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Grasieli de Oliveira
- Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Jiri Adamec
- University of Nebraska (UNL), Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Luiz Fabrício Zara
- College of Planaltina, University of Brasília (UNB), Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
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Cunha Bataglioli ID, Souza Vieira JC, Vitor de Queiroz J, da Silva Fernandes M, Bittarello AC, Braga CP, Rabelo Buzalaf MA, Adamec J, Zara LF, Magalhães Padilha PD. Physiological and functional aspects of metal-binding protein associated with mercury in the liver tissue of pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) from the Brazilian Amazon. Chemosphere 2019; 236:124320. [PMID: 31323548 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.07.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
High concentrations of mercury found in soils, sediments, fish, and humans of the Amazon region have gained prominence in scientific studies during the last decade. However, studies related to the elucidation of mercury toxicity mechanisms in ichthyofauna at the molecular and metallomic levels that seek to elucidate physiological and functional aspects, as well as the search for biomarkers of mercury exposure, are still sparse. In the search for these answers, the present study analyzed the hepatic tissue proteome of the Arapaima gigas (pirarucu) fish species collected in the Jirau hydroelectric power plant reservoir in the state of Rondônia state, Brazil, in order to identify mercury-related metal-binding proteins and to elucidate their physiological and functional aspects. The proteomic profile of the hepatic tissue of Arapaima gigas was obtained by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and the presence of mercury was mapped in the protein SPOTS by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry(GFAAS). Mercury was detected in 18 protein SPOTS with concentrations ranging from 0.13 ± 0.003 to 131.00 ± 3 mg kg-1. The characterization of the protein SPOTS associated with mercury was performed by electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS), and 10 proteins were identified. Bioinformatics analyses showed that most of the proteins found linked to mercury were involved in cellular component processes and biological processes. For the most part, protein sequences have cellular functions comprising catalytic, binding, sense of localization, and metabolic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José Cavalcante Souza Vieira
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Botucatu, Brazil; Institute of Chemistry (Inqui), Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil (UFMS), Brazil.
| | - João Vitor de Queiroz
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, Brazil
| | | | - Alis Correia Bittarello
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Luiz Fabrício Zara
- University of Brasília (UNB), College of Planaltina, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Pedro de Magalhães Padilha
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, Brazil; São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Botucatu, Brazil.
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Chen B, Fang L, Yan X, Zhang A, Chen P, Luan T, Hu L, Jiang G. A unique Pb-binding flagellin as an effective remediation tool for Pb contamination in aquatic environment. J Hazard Mater 2019; 363:34-40. [PMID: 30300776 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Metal contaminants present persistent and deleterious threats to environmental ecosystems and human health. Microorganisms can rapidly develop protective mechanisms against metal toxicity, such as metallothionein production. The identification of biological factors related to these protective mechanisms is essential for effective metal remediation. This study presents a robust pathway to rapidly locate and characterize a Pb-binding flagellin in Serratia Se1998, which can bind Pb at a 16:1 Pb: protein ratio. A column gel electrophoresis system hyphenated with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS) was constructed to efficiently separate and identify Pb-binding proteins from the whole bacterial proteome. PCR and transgenic assays were used to elucidate the exact sequences and biological function of Pb-binding proteins and heterogeneous expression of Pb-binding flagellin in E. coli could significantly enhance Pb removal from aqueous solution by approximately 45%. This method provides a benchmark procedure to rapidly identify biological factors responsible for metal biosorption. Identification of this unique Pb-binding flagellin highlights that microorganisms can survive high metal stresses due to various complex biological pathways for metal detoxification and remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baowei Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, PR China
| | - Linchuan Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, PR China
| | - Xueting Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 2871, Beijing, 100085, PR China
| | - Aiqian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 2871, Beijing, 100085, PR China
| | - Ping Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, PR China
| | - Tiangang Luan
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, PR China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, PR China
| | - Ligang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 2871, Beijing, 100085, PR China.
| | - Guibin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 2871, Beijing, 100085, PR China
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Ziller A, Yadav RK, Capdevila M, Reddy MS, Vallon L, Marmeisse R, Atrian S, Palacios Ò, Fraissinet-Tachet L. Metagenomics analysis reveals a new metallothionein family: Sequence and metal-binding features of new environmental cysteine-rich proteins. J Inorg Biochem 2016; 167:1-11. [PMID: 27886631 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2016.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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: 07/26/2016] [Revised: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Metallothioneins are cysteine-rich proteins, which function as (i) metal carriers in basal cell metabolism and (ii) protective metal chelators in conditions of metal excess. Metallothioneins have been characterized from different eukaryotic model and cultivable species. Presently, they are categorized in 15 families but evolutionary relationships between these metallothionein families remain unresolved. Several cysteine-rich protein encoding genes that conferred Cd-tolerance in Cd-sensitive yeast mutants have previously been isolated from soil eukaryotic metatranscriptomes. They were called CRPs for "cysteine-rich proteins". These proteins, of unknown taxonomic origins, share conserved cysteine motifs and could be considered as metallothioneins. In the present work, we analyzed these CRPs with respect to their amino acid sequence features and their metal-binding abilities towards Cd, Zn and Cu metal ions. Sequence analysis revealed that they share common features with different known metallothionein families, but also exhibit unique specific features. Noticeably, CRPs display two separate cysteine-rich domains which, when expressed separately in yeast, confer Cd-tolerance. The N-terminal domain contains some conserved atypical Cys motifs, such as one CCC and two CXCC ones. Five CRPs were expressed and purified as recombinant proteins and their metal-binding characteristics were studied. All these CRPs chelated Cd(II), Zn(II) and Cu(I), although displaying a better capacity for Zn(II) coordination. All CRPs are able to confer Cd-tolerance, and four of them confer Zn-tolerance in the Zn-sensitive zrc1Δ yeast mutant. We designated these CRPs as environmental metallothioneins belonging to a new formerly undescribed metallothionein family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Ziller
- Microbial Ecology, CNRS UMR 5557, INRA UMR 1418, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Rajiv Kumar Yadav
- Microbial Ecology, CNRS UMR 5557, INRA UMR 1418, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Mercè Capdevila
- Departament de Química, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Laurent Vallon
- Microbial Ecology, CNRS UMR 5557, INRA UMR 1418, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Roland Marmeisse
- Microbial Ecology, CNRS UMR 5557, INRA UMR 1418, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Silvia Atrian
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Òscar Palacios
- Departament de Química, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laurence Fraissinet-Tachet
- Microbial Ecology, CNRS UMR 5557, INRA UMR 1418, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France.
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Fujishiro T, Ermler U, Shima S. A possible iron delivery function of the dinuclear iron center of HcgD in [Fe]-hydrogenase cofactor biosynthesis. FEBS Lett 2014; 588:2789-93. [PMID: 24931373 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.05.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Revised: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
HcgD, a homolog of the ubiquitous Nif3-like protein family, is found in a gene cluster involved in the biosynthesis of the iron-guanylylpyridinol (FeGP) cofactor of [Fe]-hydrogenase. The presented crystal structure and biochemical analyses indicated that HcgD has a dinuclear iron-center, which provides a pronounced binding site for anionic ligands. HcgD contains a stronger and a weaker bound iron; the latter being removable by chelating reagents preferentially in the oxidized state. Therefore, we propose HcgD as an iron chaperone in FeGP cofactor biosynthesis, which might also stimulate investigations on the functionally unknown but physiologically important eukaryotic Nif3-like protein family members.
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