1. Combined Effects of Cadmium and UVB Radiation on Sea Urchin Embryos: Skeleton Impairment Parallels p38 MAPK Activation and Stress Genes Overexpression
- Author
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Valeria Matranga, Francesca Zito, Rosa Bonaventura, and Roberta Russo
- Subjects
Mesoderm ,Embryo, Nonmammalian ,In situ hybridization ,Toxicology ,p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ,Paracentrotus lividus ,Western blot ,Botany ,medicine ,Animals ,RNA, Messenger ,Skeleton ,Messenger RNA ,biology ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,Embryo ,General Medicine ,biology.organism_classification ,Up-Regulation ,Cell biology ,Enzyme Activation ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Real-time polymerase chain reaction ,Paracentrotus ,Signal transduction ,Cadmium - Abstract
Human and natural activities release many pollutants in the marine environment. The mixture of pollutants can affect many organisms concurrently. We used Paracentrotus lividus as a model to analyze the effects on signal transduction pathways and stress gene expression in embryos exposed continuously to double stress, i.e., cadmium (Cd) from fertilization and UVB at cleavage (Cd/UVB-embryos). By microscopical inspection, we evaluated embryonic morphology after 72 h of development. Tissue-specific markers were used to assess mesoderm differentiation by immunofluorescence. We analyzed p38MAPK, ERK1/2, and JNK activation by Western blot and mRNA profiles of Pl-MT, Pl-14-3-3epsilon, and Pl-jun genes by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and the localization of their transcripts by whole mount in situ hybridization (WMISH). We found that the Cd/UVB combined exposure induced morphological malformations in 76% of pluteus embryos, mainly affecting the development of the skeleton, including the normal branching of skeletal roads. In Cd/UVB-embryos, p38MAPK was activated 1 h after UVB exposure and a remarkable overexpression of the Pl-MT, Pl-14.3.3epsilon, and Pl-jun genes 24 h after UVB exposure. Pl-MT and Pl-14.3.3epsilon mRNAs were misexpressed as they were localized in a position different from that observed in wild-type embryos, i.e., the intestine. On the contrary, Pl-jun mRNA has remained localized in the skeletogenic cells despite their displacement in exposed embryos. In conclusion, Cd/UVB exposure affected skeletal patterning producing alternative morphologies in which p38MAPK activation and Pl-MT, Pl-14.3.3epsilon, and Pl-jun gene overexpression seem linked to a protective role against the stress response induced by Cd/UVB.
- Published
- 2015