Evaluation of toxicity of river sediments byIn Vitro enzyme inhibition

Tabata, Masako; Ozawa, Kazuhito; Ohtakara, Akiko; Nakabayashi, Hiromi; Suzuki, Shingo

doi:10.1007/bf01702180

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Proteases, as well as the other enzyme systems proposed earlier [1,4], might serve as a screening bioindicator for sediment toxicity. However, this study indicates that the total Cu concentration in gut fluids is not a good indicator of toxin dose, because of the large variation in Cu concentrations at the BOP among the sediment incubation (1 × 10 −3 M, Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, protease may not be able to bind and digest sedimentary substrates (i.e., peptides, proteins) loaded with metals (substrate tanning). On the other hand, metal-enzyme interactions have been successfully used to test the toxicity of sediment and soil samples [4], especially since the introduction of fluorophore-tagged substrates that dramatically enhance the sensitivity of enzyme assays. This method of enzyme assay has proved to be simple, sensitive, reproducible, and correlates well with other biologically based methods [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Digestive proteases of the lugworm (Arenicola marina) inhibited by Cu from contaminated sediments

Chen

Mayer

1998

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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We examined potential toxic effects of copper released from contaminated sediments during deposit feeding of the lugworm, Arenicola marina. Titration of Cu solution into gut fluids can result in decreases in protease activity if sufficient Cu is added. The effects of Cu on gut proteases were confirmed by incubation of gut fluids with Cu‐contaminated harbor sediments. Monitoring of Cu titration into gut fluids shows that enzyme inhibition and quenching of gut protein fluorescence occur only when sufficient Cu has been added to allow inorganic Cu species to become abundant. This threshold level probably represents the exhaustion of strong binding sites that act as protection against enzyme inhibition. Thus, sediments contaminated with Cu may have inhibitory effects on digestive processes in lugworms.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digestive proteases of the lugworm (Arenicola marina) inhibited by Cu from contaminated sediments

Chen

Mayer

1998

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Assessing the toxicity of freshwater sediments

Burton

1991

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

316

139

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The science of sediment toxicology essentially began in the late 1970s. It was largely a product of dredging concerns and recognition of widespread contamination of sediments. During the past few years, sediment toxicity research activity has increased dramatically. Currently, most tests are of an acute nature with fewer available for determining sublethal endpoints of chronic toxicity. Test systems of single and multiple species have included most levels of biological organization in aquatic ecosystems and have been conducted in the laboratory on whole sediments, interstitial waters, elutriates, or other extractable fractions under a wide variety of conditions. Evaluations of methodological effects and comparisons with in situ toxicity using surrogate test species and indigenous communities have, on occasion, shown significant differences in test responses. These differences may be attributed to laboratory‐controlled parameters (e.g., light, species, life stage, exposure conditions, test phase, spiking method); sampling and laboratory‐induced disruption of sediment integrity; alteration of toxicant partitioning due to manipulations and temporal effects; and failure to recognize other influencing ecosystem variables (e.g., organism niche and life cycle, sediment partitioning and gradient dynamics, physicochemical and biological process integration, biotic and abiotic disturbances, micro‐ and macrobiota patches, food‐web interactions). Optimizing and standardizing test methods will require further studies of these variables to improve inter‐laboratory comparisons and ecosystem validity. Despite the many unknowns that exist, a variety of sediment toxicity tests have been effectively used in assessing toxicant contamination by measuring the bioavailable fraction of the in‐place pollutants. The optimal assays vary with the study and its objectives. Intergrative studies using several chemical, community, and toxicity measures are currently the most effective at defining ecosystem perturbations.

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