Lipid composition of the digestive glands of Mytilus edulis and Carcinus maenas in response to pollutant gradients

Abstract

In field stuhes for the GEEP Workshop in Langesundfjord. Norway, changes in lipid content and lipid : protein ratios of digestive glands of Mytilus edulis and Carcinus maenas were reflected along the pollution gradient, with populations of M. edulis showing elevations in both parameters at the 3 most contaminated Sites (2, 3 and 4) in comparison to the reference site (l), and populations of C. maenas showing elevations only at Site 3. In mesocosm experiments only M. edulis from the high dose basin showed elevationsin lipid content and lipid : protein ratios; C. maenasin the medium dose basin showed a decrease in both parameters. Analysis of lipid class composition for field and mesocosm samples of M. edulis reveal differences in response to contaminant gradients that reflect alterations in mobilization of triacylglycerols to phospholipid pools, reductions in phospholipid content, and nutritional condition. Changes in lipid class distributions of M. edulis from both field and mesocosm experiments correlate well with body burden data for tissue concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons and/or polychlorinated biphenyls. Lipid class dstributions of field samples of C. maenasindicate alterations in the mobilization of triacylglycerols, sterol turnover, and reductions in phospholipid content. The responses, which suggest that crabs from Site 3 are the most impacted, are not consistent with contaminant data from the field sites. Crabs from mesocosm expenments show no evidence of alterations in lipid class distribution in spite of a consistent trend in aromatic hydrocarbon tissue concentrations along the gradient. Differential responses of field and mesocosm populations of M edulis and C. rnaenas are possibly the result of metabolic capacity for detoxification and differences in trophic transfer.

Response of mussel recruits to pollution from the ‘Prestige’ oil spill along the Galicia coast. A biochemical approach

“…Our results are in agreement with the results obtained by Capuzzo & Leavitt (1988) in Mytilus edulis collected along a contaminant gradient. The mussels subjected to higher levels of hydrocarbons were those with higher lipid content and a lipid/protein ratio with the only exception of mussels from Carrumeiro.…”

“…An increase in lipids within the cells is associated with this epithelial rupture, along with a narrowing of the lysosomes, an organule responsible for intracellular digestion. Working with Mytilus edulis collected along the contaminant gradient, Capuzzo & Leavitt (1988) noted elevated TG content and TG/PH (phospholipid ratio. This suggests a decrease in TG mobilization to the PH pool with potential consequences on membrane structure and function.…”

Seasonal and Annual Variation in Weight and Biochemical Content of the Zebra Mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, in Lake St. Clair

“…The ratio (as calculated from the mean percent of total lipid) was 0.5 for mussels from Station 3 and 0.8 for mussels from Station 19. Capuzzo and Leavitt (1988) reported a ratio of 3.5 to 6.6 along a pollution gradient for the marine mussel, Mytilus edulis, but these values were derived from the digestive gland (which serves as a lipid storage organ) and not from whole body tissue as in our study.…”

“…In comparing the two stations, triacylglycerols were higher in mussels from Station 19, while phospholipids were higher in mussels from Station 3 ( Table 3). The ratio between triacylglycerols and phospholipids has been used to assess relative nutritional status in bivalves, with lower values indicating greater nutritional stress (Capuzzo and Leavitt 1988). The ratio (as calculated from the mean percent of total lipid) was 0.5 for mussels from Station 3 and 0.8 for mussels from Station 19.…”

Assessment of Seasonal Variability of Cytochemical Responses to Contaminant Exposure in the Blue Mussel Mytilus edulis (Complex)

“…Other physiological changes in mussels exposed to chemical contaminants have been observed, including reductions in growth rate (scope-for-growth), altered condition indices (Cappuzzo and Leavitt 1988;Widdows and Johnson 1988;Widdows et al 1990), and impaired growth and reproductive success proportional to the exposure level of chemical contaminants (Salazar and Salazar 1991).…”