Proteins in ecotoxicology – How, why and why not?

Abstract

The growing interest in the application of proteomic technologies to solve toxicology issues and its relevance in ecotoxicology research has resulted in the emergence of "ecotoxicoproteomics". There is a general consensus that ecotoxicoproteomics is a powerful tool to spot early molecular events involved in toxicant responses, which are responsible for the adverse effects observed at higher levels of biological organization, thus contributing to elucidate the mode of action of stressors and to identify specific biomarkers. Ultimately, early-warning indicators can then be developed and deployed in "in situ" bioassays and in environmental risk assessment. The number of field experiments or laboratory trials using ecologically relevant test-species and involving proteomics has been, until recently, insufficient to allow a critical analysis of the real benefits of the application of this approach to ecotoxicology. This article intends to present an overview on the applications of proteomics in the context of ecotoxicology, focusing mainly on the prospective research to be done in invertebrates. Although these represent around 95% of all animal species and in spite of the key structural and functional roles they play in ecosystems, proteomic research in invertebrates is still in an incipient stage. We will review applications of ecotoxicoproteomics by evaluating the technical methods employed, the organisms and the contexts studied, the advances achieved until now and lastly the limitations yet to overcome will be discussed.

Changes in protein expression of pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas exposed in situ to urban sewage

“…Several methodologies have been used for proteomic analysis, but the two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) on polyacrylamide gels is the most established and used tool (Lemos et al 2010). The identification of induced and/or inhibited proteins is one way to identify exposure-effect relationships associated to certain stressors in order to propose molecular mechanisms of response (Nesatyy and Suter 2007).…”

Proteome pattern in oysters as a diagnostic tool for metal pollution

“…Unfortunately, few of the established biomarkers have adequate sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value for metal contamination. Even the use of traditional biomarkers requires a comprehensive knowledge of the interactions between contaminants and organisms [6][7][8][9]. For example, metallothioneins (MTs), low-molecular-weight metal-binding proteins, are the most widely used biomarkers in environmental monitoring programmes.…”

Proteomic and metabolomic responses in hepatopancreas of Mytilus galloprovincialis challenged by Micrococcus luteus and Vibrio anguillarum

“…The two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE)-based proteomics remains widely useful to characterize complex biologically functional protein networks [15]. Not only can proteomics describe a complete proteome at organelle, cell, or tissue levels, but it can also compare proteomes and then detect proteomic differences caused by either biotic or abiotic stressors [16]. Metabolomics usually focuses on the whole set of low molecular weight (<1000 Da) metabolites that are the end products in various biological systems including organs, tissues, biofluids, or even whole organisms [17,18].…”