Proteomic changes in Corbicula fluminea exposed to wastewater from a psychiatric hospital

Abstract

The increase use of pharmaceutical compounds in veterinary practice and human population results in the ubiquitous presence of these compounds in aquatic ecosystems. Because pharmaceuticals are highly bioactive, there is concern about their toxicological effects in aquatic organisms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of an effluent from a psychiatric hospital (containing a complex mixture of 25 pharmaceutical compounds from eleven therapeutic classes) on the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea using a proteomic approach. The exposure of C. fluminea to this complex effluent containing anxiolytics, analgesics, lipid regulators, beta blockers, antidepressants, antiepileptics, antihistamines, antihypertensives, antiplatelets and antiarrhythmics induced protein changes after 1 day of exposure in clam gills and digestive gland more evident in the digestive gland. These changes included increase in the abundance of proteins associated with structural (actin and tubulin), cellular functions (calreticulin, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), T complex protein 1 (TCP1)) and metabolism (aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), alcohol dehydrogenase, 6 phosphogluconate dehydrogenase). Results from this study indicate that calreticulin, PCNA, ALDH and alcohol dehydrogenase in the digestive gland and T complex protein 1 (TCP1)) and 6 phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in the gills represent useful biomarkers for the ecotoxicological characterization of psychiatric hospital effluents in this species.

Finding Biomarkers in Antioxidant Molecular Mechanisms for Ensuring Food Safety of Bivalves Threatened by Marine Pollution

“…The movement of electrons is harnessed in the synthesis of ATP, but a slight imbalance of electrons causes ROS [ 90 ]. Regarding metal contamination, studies in Ruditapes philippinarum revealed that a significant number of biological processes (tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid β-oxidation, stress resistance, apoptosis and mitochondrial fission) were affected [ 67 ]. In the case of the Corbicula fluminea subjected to pharmaceutical compounds, calreticulin, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), alcohol dehydrogenase, T-complex protein 1 and 6 phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were proposed as protein biomarkers.…”

“…In the case of the Corbicula fluminea subjected to pharmaceutical compounds, calreticulin, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), alcohol dehydrogenase, T-complex protein 1 and 6 phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were proposed as protein biomarkers. Metabolism (ALDH, alcohol dehydrogenase and 6 phosphogluconate dehydrogenase) proteins were affected in response to the complex contamination of psychiatric hospital chemical products [ 67 ].…”

Molecular Methods as Potential Tools in Ecohydrological Studies on Emerging Contaminants in Freshwater Ecosystems

“…Regarding the impact of CECs on wild organisms, Bebianno et al [86] used a proteomic approach for the assessment of the response of freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea to effluent from a psychiatric hospital containing a complex mixture of 25 pharmaceuticals. After 1-day exposure, the authors observed an increase in the abundance of structural proteins and calreticulin, as well as proliferation of cell nuclear antigen, T complex protein 1 and aldehyde dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and phosphogluconate dehydrogenase.…”

Whole-transcriptome response to wastewater treatment plant and stormwater effluents in the Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea

“…Genes involved in xenobiotic detoxification were amongst the most up-regulated genes (Table 3), particularly many isoforms of class III alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) that are responsible for formaldehyde detoxification by metabolizing glutathione adducts (Haseba et al, 2006). This enzyme involved in Phase 1 xenobiotics metabolism was previously shown to be up-regulated in the digestive gland of bivalves exposed to various organic pollutants, particularly pharmaceuticals (Bebianno et al, 2016;Schmidt et al, 2014). These genes also participate to the KEGG pathway 'Degradation of aromatic compounds' in Table 4, suggesting the presence of organic pollutants in WWTP and runoff waters.…”

“…The Asian freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea is an invasive species, widely distributed in rivers, lakes and estuaries throughout Europe (Sousa et al, 2008). This suspension feeder has been used as a bioindicator to assess the impact of different contaminants, such as metals (Arini et al, 2014) or organic molecules (Bebianno et al, 2016). In the present study, we investigated the transcriptomewide response of field caged specimens to wastewater treatment plant and stormwater runoff effluents in order to get insights on the impacted metabolic pathways and to evaluate the potential use of transcriptomics as early diagnostic tool of water quality in-situ.…”