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Objective: this work evaluates the expression of several biomarker genes (i.e. CAT, HSPs, MT10, p53, GSTpi, ER1/2) in Mytilus galloprovincialis native specimens to identify pollution related transcriptional changes., Methods: gene expression levels were analysed in the gills of mussels from five sites along a coastal area of the central Adriatic Sea, using qPCR., Results: we observed higher expression levels of biomarker genes in mussels from the local harbour or river mouths than in mussels from the reference site and offshore platform., Conclusions: the variations in gene expression observed indicated high sensitivity to pollutants, and showed differences among the sampling sites.

The loggerhead turtle ( Caretta caretta ) can be considered a good indicator species for studying the ecological impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on wildlife. However, the effect of these environmental pollutants on nuclear steroid hormone signaling has not yet been addressed in sea turtles mainly due to the legal constraints of their endangered status. Here we describe the use of primary erythrocyte cell cultures as in vitro models for evaluating the effects of different EDCs on the expression of estrogen receptor α (ERα). In addition, we evaluated erythrocyte toxicity caused by EDCs using Alamar Blue assay and heat shock proteins 60 (HSP60) expression. Primary cultures of erythrocytes were exposed to increasing concentrations of 4-nonylphenol (4NP), Diisodecyl phthalate (DiDP), Tri-m-cresyl phosphate (TMCP) and Tributyltin (TBT) for 48 h. Alamar Blue demonstrated that exposure of erythrocytes to each contaminant for up to 48 h led to a significant impairment of cellular metabolic activity at 100 μM, with the exception of TBT. Moreover, our data indicate that loggerhead erythrocytes constitutively express ERα and HSP60 at the transcript level and respond to EDCs by up-regulating their expression. In this regard, ERα was up-regulated in a dose-dependent manner after 48 h exposure to both 4NP and TMCP. Interestingly, the dosage-dependent effects of DiDP on ERα expression were opposite in comparison to that obtained following exposure to the other tested compounds. This work provides the first indication regarding the potential of primary erythrocytes as study models for evaluating the effects of EDCs on sea turtles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European flat Ostrea edulis is highly susceptible to intracellular parasitic infections, particularly bonamiosis and marteiliosis. The defensive response of oyster to both bonamiosis and marteiliosis is typically mediated by hemocytes, which play a pivotal role in immune system homeostasis. In the present study, we first used a DNA-based tool in order to rapidly and specifically detect the presence of parasites in oysters from natural banks in the middle Adriatic Sea. In a second step, we used qRT-PCR to analyze the mRNA levels of a set of genes (i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), metallothionein (MT), heat shock protein (HSP) 70 and 90, inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP), fas ligand (FAS), galectin (GAL) and extracellular superoxide dismutase (Ec-SOD)) expressed by hemocytes of flat oysters infected by the parasites, present singularly or in combination, compared to hemocytes from non-infected specimens. The results indicate that the presence of parasite DNA may be associated to a general upregulation of host genes related to apoptosis, detoxification and oxidative stress protection, with the exception of Ec-SOD, whose trend to a downregulation might reflect a mechanism for parasite escape before internalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]