Workshop on rotifers in ecotoxicology

Abstract

The aim of the workshop on rotifers in ecotoxicology was to stimulate discussions on new developments in the field. Discussions about the use of biomolecular tools indicate that gene expression analysis with rotifers should be available in the next few years. Such analyses will be a great asset as they enable ecotoxicologists to study molecular mechanisms of toxicity. Rotifers also appear as useful tools in the risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites that find their way into aquatic ecosystems because their sensitivity to some of these substances is higher than that of cladocerans and algae. The nature and extent of the impact of potential endocrine disruptors on aquatic invertebrates is another poorly resolved issue for which rotifers are a promising tool. Indeed, rotifers seem to be particularly sensitive to androgenic and anti-antiandrogenic substances, whereas copepods and cladocerans are typically more affected by estrogens and juvenile hormone-like compounds. Besides their usefulness in these emerging fields of aquatic ecotoxicology, it was emphasized that research with rotifers on basic issues like, e.g., toxicant interference with predation, competition, or interspecific and interclonal variation in ecotoxicological tests is still needed.

Effects of rapamycin on life span and on expression of TOR and S6K in Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera)

“…Brachionus calyciflorus has a small body size (0.3 mm) and short life span (5 to 7 d), making it suitable for ecotoxicological and aging studies (Snell & Janssen 1995, Snell & Joaquim-Justo 2007. TOR is linked to invertebrate aging, and rapamycin is a specific inhibitor of TOR expression (Sarbassov et al 2006, Fontana et al 2010).…”

Rotifers in Lake Orta: a potential ecological and evolutionary model system

“…Commonly used species of rotifers for ecotoxicological bioassays include various members of the family Brachionidae, such as Brachionus calyciflorus and Plationus patulus in freshwater systems and some taxa of the Brachionus plicatilis species complex in marine waters (Snell and Janssen, 1995;Gama-Flores et al, 1999;Luna-Andrade et al, 2002;Snell and Joaquim-Justo, 2007;Sarma et al, 2008). As compared to other zooplankton, several taxa of rotifers can tolerate acid conditions rather well (Bērzinš and Pejler, 1989a, 1989b, 1989c; Brachionus is, however, a typically alkaline genus and is most diverse at a pH ranging from 7-9.…”

Effects of indirect toxicity of interacting Cd–Zn in a planktonic marine system

“…Both species are suitable for use in toxicity bioassays be cause of their sensitivity to several contaminants, easy maintenance in the laboratory and their functional role in aquatic ecosystems (Snell & Janssen 1995, Marcial et al 2005, Snell & Joaquim-Justo 2007. In this system we assessed 2 means of metal uptake on rotifer individuals, one direct way defined as uptake of dissolved metals in the medium and another defined as indirect uptake through consumption of food treated with metals in sublethal concentrations.…”