Cadmium stress effects indicating marine pollution in different species of sea urchin employed as environmental bioindicators

Abstract

In recent years, researches about the defense strategies induced by cadmium stress have greatly increased, invading several fields of scientific research. Mechanisms of cadmium-induced toxicity continue to be of interest for researchers given its ubiquitous nature and environmental distribution, where it often plays the role of pollutant for numerous organisms. The presence in the environment of this heavy metal has been constantly increasing because of its large employment in several industrial and agricultural activities. Cadmium does not have any biological role and, since it cannot be degraded by living organisms, it is irreversibly accumulated into cells, interacting with cellular components and molecular targets. Cadmium is one of the most studied heavy metal inductors of stress and a potent modulator of several processes such as apoptosis, autophagy, reactive oxygen species, protein kinase and phosphatase, mitochondrial function, metallothioneins, and heat-shock proteins. Sea urchins (adults, gametes, embryos, and larvae) offer an optimal opportunity to investigate the possible adaptive response of cells exposed to cadmium, since these cells are known to accumulate contaminants. In this review, we will examine several responses to stress induced by cadmium in different sea urchin species, with a focus on Paracentrotus lividus embryos. The sea urchin embryo represents a suitable system, as it is not subjected to legislation on animal welfare and can be easily used for toxicological studies and as a bioindicator of environmental pollution. Recently, it has been included into the guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays to monitor autophagy.

The mitophagy receptor FUN14 domain-containing 1 (FUNDC1): A promising biomarker and potential therapeutic target of human diseases

“…Thus, it is necessary to identify the specific upstream signaling molecules, particularly the protein kinases and phosphatases responsible for the pathogenesis of these diseases. 66 , 67 In addition, whether other mitophagy receptors such as Nix is implicated in phosphorylation regulation and diseases also should be explored. 68 , 69 …”

High-content analysis of larval phenotypes for the screening of xenobiotic toxicity using Phallusia mammillata embryos

“…3-5). Such delay in embryonic development in response to stress or DNA damage is well described in the literature (Häder et al, 2011;Chiarelli et al, 2019). Therefore phenotypes that show 4 or 5 affected endpoints were considered either non-specific or indicative of DNA damage.…”

Often Overlooked: Understanding and Meeting the Current Challenges of Marine Invertebrate Conservation

“…Heavy metal pollution from industrial development not only has toxicological effects on humans, but the discharge of contaminants often renders ecosystems uninhabitable for marine invertebrates (Briffa et al, 2020). Negative synergistic effects of cadmium and temperature have been found during direct experiments with bioindicators such as oysters, scallops, and sea urchins (Lannig et al, 2006;Benedetti et al, 2016;Chiarelli et al, 2019). For these studies, when the invertebrate populations were subjected to increasing amounts of cadmium as well as temperature over time, the mortality rate quickly escalated in proportion.…”

“…For these studies, when the invertebrate populations were subjected to increasing amounts of cadmium as well as temperature over time, the mortality rate quickly escalated in proportion. Even if some species of marine invertebrates have tolerance to high concentration of heavy metals, sublethal effects (e.g., lowered growth rate) from chronic exposure have the potential to disrupt entire habitats (Chiarelli et al, 2019). There is a high dependence of global coastal communities on fishing, but there may be a point in time when harvested shellfish are unable to be consumed anymore due to the bioaccumulation of toxins that they store in different areas of their tissue and its direct impact on human health (Elston et al, 1982;DaSilva et al, 2012).…”